Engaging with mosque imams for effective responses to COVID-19

In order to combat the spread of COVID-19, a large number of Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and Malaysia have put restrictions on religious congregations and gatherings, including the obligatory Friday prayer. Leading international Sunni and Shia clerics have endorsed these rulings. And yet, in Pakistan, there has been a lack of clarity on the official stance on whether and how congregational prayer is going to be restricted as part of on-going lockdowns.