Huge Rush Witnessed At Graveyards Amid SOPs' Compliance On Eid Day

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th May, 2021 ) :Amid rising disease spread across the country, a large number of city residents visited the graveyards on the occasion of Eid ul Fitr to remember their loved ones while strictly adhering to Covid-19 SOPs.

People belonging to all age groups poured into the graveyards wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing to pray for peace of the departed souls on the occasion.

All major graveyards of the city including Pirwadahi graveyard, Eidgah graveyard, Jadeed graveyard Committee Chowk, Baba Gohar Shah graveyard, and others witnessed huge rush as the people of all age groups visited there to offer fateha on the graves of their nearest and dearest.

The graveyards were so much crowded on the first day of Eid that it was hard to move easily.

Due to lack of proper arrangements of parking and others, huge traffic mess was also witnessed near the big graveyards like Pirwadahi and Eidgah creating problems for the visitors.

The floral shops set up on the roads leading to the graveyard earned good amount of money on Eid days. The visitors complained that they were selling flowers at almost double rate from the usual days.

However, a shopkeeper was of the view that these were the days when they received enough shoppers. He said although the rates were high than the usual days but they also purchased flowers on high rates on such occasions.

While sharing their feelings with APP on the occasion, the visitors said that while they visit the graves of their beloved, they feel they are with them.

"I have been visiting graveyard on the occasion of Eid since my childhood. My father took my whole family with him, and now when he is not with us, I come there with my children," said Khurram Shahzad, a government employee residing in Karimpura.

He said he visited the graveyard before Eid prayer to offer Fateha and showering flower petals on the grave of his father and grandfather. "But due to Covid, I strictly observed Covid SOPs of mask wearing and including social distancing along with my children," he added.

The garrison city of Rawalpindi has witnessed one of the highest deaths due to Covid-19 during the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic both the provincial and national level. "There is alternate to your loved ones especially parents and it is necessary to pray for their salvation, peace and forgiveness in the hereafter," said Sabiha Sadiq, a school teacher residing in Satellite Town.

She said keeping in view the increased infections rate in the city I had carefully followed the safety protocols and avoided to bring my children below 12-year age to the graveyard.

"There large crowds though in the graveyard yet people are wearing facemasks which is encouraging but still it is necessary to avoid needless outdoor visits and strictly adhere to Covid Sops," she said.

\395