The lockdown imposed in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, due to rising COVID-19 cases has now turned the situation into an opportunity for the police to earn money, local media reported. 

Daily Times reported that in many suburbs, such as Lyari, Gadap, Ibrahim Hyedri, Qaida Abad, Banaras, Baldia Town, Sheerin Jinnah Colony and other slum areas of metropolis, police in cahoots with the local administration, has allowed the local businesses to stay open till late night, flouting Government’s SOP’s.

Moreover, it has also been learnt that the police and the local administration have reportedly set an hourly rate for letting the business operate beyond 6 pm. Shopkeepers alleged that the Police have set the rates for business after scheduled hours and we are compelled to do so, reported the Pakistani newspaper.

It was learnt that in slum areas, not only shops are open via police’s backing, but the lawn enforcement personnel are willingly letting the movement of people go unabated, Daily Times was quoted by IBNS as saying.

Pakistan has been witnessing a rise in COVID-19 cases in recent times.

As per details, journalists who were reporting on the restrictions imposed by the Sindh government in the metropolis, are being thrashed by the Karachi Police to stop them for exposing the blatant violations of rules and regulations. Journalists, on many occasions were roughed up, while on one instance a reporter, a DSNG operator and a driver were also attacked by the employees of a restaurant when the news channel team was covering the SOPs’ violations in the city, the newspaper reported.

While talking to Daily Times, All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir said that the provincial government has immensely disturbed the business community in the metropolis by imposing lockdowns to mint money through police and other departments in the guise of implementing Covid SOPs.

He said that the Sindh government took businessmen and citizens hostage and turned Karachi into a police state.(SAM)