Soap factories, pet shops may open amid COVID-19 lockdown

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat has allowed the opening of washing powder and soap making factories during the lockdown in view of the coronavirus.

A notification has also been issued in this regard. It says that pet shops will also be allowed to open in Islamabad.

All the common soap and pesticide soap factories are being allowed to operate in view of public need to start their production. The district administration has also allowed pet shops to be opened immediately for pet food and other necessities

Safety gear

Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Deputy Mayor Zeeshan Naqvi claimed that they had provided safety gear to the sanitation workers on a self-help basis.

He, subsequently, lamented that the people weren’t cooperating with the administration, adding that they could get rid of the prowling virus if people abided by the government’s orders. He once again urged the people to stay indoors and said that IMC and Islamabad administration were washing and cleaning different areas jointly.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) Sanitation Director Sardar Khan Zamri said that they were working round the clock despite limited financial and human resources. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2020.