Pensioners, employees queue outside bank branches

Social distancing guidelines disregarded at many places

RAWALPINDI: As the provincial government released the salaries and pensions, hundreds of existing and retired employees swarmed the few open bank branches in the city.

Many pensioners, however, could not obtain their meagre pensions for another day, complaining that they could not reach the counters due to the rush.

Long queues were seen outside the branches of different banks with people disregarding the government restrictions of social distancing amid the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

A similar sight was witnessed outside a bank branch near the Taj Company Chowk on Liaquat Road. People waited for their turn under the scorching sun in disorderly lines and close to each other.

Moreover, those who had arrived early did not obey the token system and thronged the bank counters without waiting for their turn.

Several customers present in the bank branches to draw their salaries and pensions did not appear to have taken any precautionary measures as only some pensioners were seen wearing gloves and masks.

Disgruntled customers said the bank management did not devise any plan to manage such an immense rush of people as they blamed slow service for exacerbating the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2020.