Pakistan mega-mosque muezzin summons the faithful

MOMENTS before dawn, Noor ul Islam ascends the steps of one of the world’s biggest mosques, enters its cavernous hall and says a private prayer before a faintly buzzing microphone.

Then, the 32-year-old gulps down a deep breath and makes the morning’s call to worship – a forceful yet lilting chant amplified across Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, marking the start of daylight fasting during Ramadan.