Hundreds booked for violating SOPs on Eid in Hazara division

ABBOTTABAD: Police in the Hazara division on Sunday said that it had registered cases against hundreds of traders, shopping malls and fuel station owners for violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) during the Eidul Fitr holidays.

A police spokesperson on Sunday said that the Hazara Deputy Inspector General Police (DIG) Qazi Jamilur Rehman had directed all DPOs to take strict action against those violating the SOPs, and their special campaigns of “No mask, no petrol” and “No mask, no shopping”, aimed to curb the spread of the pandemic.

In separate meetings, he said that traders, owners of compressed natural gas and petrol stations in the division were urged to strictly implement the campaigns.

However, many failed to abide by the instructions. Hence, cases were registered against 550 traders and shopping malls for violating the SOPs and failing to implement the campaigns. Moreover, 98 cases were registered fuel pump owners. Furthermore, more than 4,000  shopkeepers were issued warnings during the eid holidays.

Claiming that police awareness drives and punitive actions on social distancing have proven to be successful, Rehman said that these measures need to be continued.

He directed the DPOs to enforce precautionary measures in the police force as well to save them from this pandemic.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2020.