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ISLAMABAD, May 1-- Pakistan is celebrating the Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. In the religious month, families and friends gather for lavish meals or "iftar" at the post-dusk time to break the fast, hours-long congregation prayers at night and affluent people also hold iftar for the poor and needy. Apart from social and religious sides, Ramadan also has a strong economic effect as the economic activities during the month are at their peak as compared to the whole year. People especially women and kids throng to markets to shop for iftar dinners and the Eid festival which follows the 29 or 30-day fasting month. This year, Ramadan is not the same for the Pakistanis. COVID-19 outbreak in the country has affected the rituals and celebrations of the month in the same way as it affected other social activities across the country. Currently over 13,000 people have been tested positive of COVID-19 across the country, and the federal and provincial governments imposed a lockdown and asked for social distancing nationwide with an aim to curb the spread of COVID-19. "I do not have time in normal office days to meet or dine with friends and relatives, so Ramadan iftar dinners are a good opportunity to meet and greet people," Shaukat Abbas, an Islamabad-based businessman told Xinhua. "Every year in Ramadan I invite my relatives, friends and even business contacts to break fast together, and most of the Ramadan evenings remain occupied, as I am either host or guest of the iftar dinners. But this year I prefer staying at home, and not inviting anyone because of the disease (COVID-19) scare," the businessman said. | 
