Islamabad: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for Political Communication Shahbaz Gill said on Thursday that major markets across Pakistan will be closed as standard operational procedures (SOP) formulated to curb the spread of the pandemic were not being followed.

“An operation has been started in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),” the SAPM said. “We all have to follow the SOPs.”

During the meeting of the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC), Punjab’s chief secretary appraised the forum about growing cases of coronavirus in the province.

“In view of the increasing number of coronavirus cases, major markets in cities including Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi are being closed from today,” he said.

Teams have been formed to seal shops in Rawalpindi. According to the district administration, the teams in the garrison city and cantonment would be dispatched today evening for carrying out the operation.

Shops and markets open after 7 pm would be sealed. Meanwhile, traders have rejected the decision.

A spokesperson for the traders, Naeem Mir, said that decision to close the markets in country would be “contrary to common sense, argument and logic”.

“This is a financially weak state,” Mir said. “It does have the power to support the traders. If the markets are closed today, will the transport be closed tomorrow and then the whole country.”

A day earlier on June 3, Information Minister Shibli Faraz appealed the people to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reverse the upward trajectory of coronavirus otherwise the government would have no option but to enforce the lockdown again.

The warning of the return of restrictions came after two provincial lawmakers from Punjab and K-P succumbed to Covid-19 as the virus continued to spread across the country at an alarming rate, setting a new grim record of 4,000 infections in a single day.

The federal government this week started easing the virus-induced lockdown under strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) in an effort to restart the economy. The SOPs and easing of lockdown were aimed at saving lives and people’s livelihood.

However, flouting of the SOPs appeared widespread. “Majority of the people are not adopting precautionary measures even after easing of restrictions,” Faraz told a news conference along with Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2235258/1-major-markets-closed-across-country-sops-violated-sapm-shahbaz-gill/