K-P back to blanket curbs as smart lockdown ends

Total number of Covid-19 cases reach 5,423

PESHAWAR: The first phase of the smart lockdown, which was imposed for four days a week, ended on Thursday while complete lockdown would begin today (Friday) across the province.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government ended the complete lockdown last week and announced that smart lockdown would be enforced in the first four days of a week while all business centres would remain close during the remaining three days of the week in the province.

Meanwhile, the traders' associations and unions have directed shopkeepers and other businesspersons to obey the provincial government's directives regarding the implementation of lockdown orders.

However, contrary to the government's orders, shopkeepers have refused to close their shops.

A shopkeeper in the walled city area of the provincial capital said he was ready to go to jail rather than close his business for three days a week.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar district administration arrested 96 people and sealed over a dozen shops and plazas for violating the Covid-19 guidelines.

Peshawar deputy commissioner along with assistant commissioner raided several businesses along the University Road, Hashtnagri area, Grand Trunk (GT) Road and shut several shops, business centres for violating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).Conditional Itikaf allowed

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2020.