Lockdown to remain in place during Ramazan: Sindh CM

Cooked food deliveries will be permitted from 5 pm to 10 pm, grocery stores to remain open till 5 pm

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday said the provincial lockdown will remain in place post-5 pm during the holy month of Ramazan.

The decision was taken in a meeting to finalise the standard operating procedure (SOPs) for business activity during the month of Ramazan.

The meeting also decided that select businesses will be permitted to operate from 9 am to 3 pm from Monday to Thursday.

Grocery stores, however, will remain open from 8 am to 5 pm and cooked food deliveries will be permitted from 5 pm to 10 pm and no home delivery will be allowed during Sehri hours.

The CM also directed the home department to issue a notification detailing the timings and the SOPs to be followed.

The meeting was also apprised that Ehtram-e-Ramazan Ordinance 1981 will continue to be enforced throughout the province. Under the ordinance, it is illegal to eat or drink in public from sunrise to sunset during Ramazan.

Provincial ministers and advisers including Saeed Ghani, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Nasir Hussain Shah, Murtaza Wahab were present at the meeting, as well as, Principle Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah, Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Sindh IGP Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar,  AIG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon, and Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani.