KARACHI/ISLAMABAD – Eidul Azha is being celebrated on Friday by the Muslims across Pakistan with religious fervour and enthusiasm.

The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for the peace and progress of Pakistan and the Muslim Umma. People flocked to mosques in droves to offer Eid prayers, where religious scholars highlighted the significance of the occasion in their sermons.

Large congregations of worshippers gathered for Eid prayers at Islamabad's Faisal Mosque and Lahore's Badshahi Mosque. After offering Eid prayers, the faithful will sacrifice animals to mark the 10th of Zilhaj. Eidul Azha or the Festival of Sacrifice celebrates the end of the Haj pilgrimage to Makkah and commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's (AS) readiness to sacrifice his son to show obedience to God.

On the occasion of Eid, President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif extended Eid greetings to the nation and urged Pakistanis to share the joys of Eid with the poor and under-privileged. The president asked people to remember the sacrifices of the armed forces fighting terrorism. The prime minister encouraged the masses to rise above personal, sectarian, and party interests in order to eliminate extremism.

President Mamnoon Hussain offered Eid prayers at the State Guest House in Karachi, after which he exchanged greetings with fellow worshippers.