LAHORE: The Punjab Auqaf Department on Monday prepared a code of conduct to regulate religious speeches delivered in mosques, banning the use of loud speakers except for ‘Azaan’ and ‘Arabi Khutba’.
According to the code of conduct, clerics & scholars will not be allowed to declare anyone ‘Kafir’ during their speeches.
The department also banned declaring any persons irrespective of his sect ‘Wajid-ul-Qatal’ (Liable to be killed). Likewise, as per code of conduct, the content based on hate speech has also been banned.
The much-required move came after clashes erupted between members of the Sunni and Shia communities as a procession at 10th of Muharram was passing in front of a seminary in Rawalpindi’s Raja Bazaar area which left at least eleven persons killed and several others injured.
On Friday, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman while talking to media representatives had also stressed the need to ban unnecessary use of loud speakers.
The JUI-F chief had said that loud speakers should have been used according to need as there unnecessary use was also a cause of concern for residents of neighbourhoods.
