LAHORE – Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governments have decided to shut down major markets over the negligence to follow the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) designed to curb the spread of deadly coronavirus across the country.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill tweeted that “Under the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) decisions, several major markets across the country will be shut down today over violation of lockdown SOPs.
NCOC کے فیصلوں کے تناظر میں لاک ڈاؤن کی SOP فالو نہ کرنے پر پورے ملک میں کئی بڑی مارکیٹیں آج بند کر دی جائیں گی۔ پنجاب اور کے پی کے میں آپریشن شروع کر دیا گیا ہے۔ ہم سب کو ہر صورت SOPs فالو کرنے ہوں گے۔
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) June 4, 2020
Shahbaz Gill added that “Operation in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been initiated. We must follow SOPs in any case.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik briefed the NCOC regarding the coronavirus situation and said that major markets in Punjab will be shut in the light of the NCOC decisions.
“Industrial areas, markets and transport will be bound to follow rules and fines will be imposed over violations,” he added.
Action in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi will start within a few hours.
On the other hand, Several shopping centers sealed in Peshawar and different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for violating the SOPs devised to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The federal government is considering to tighten the smart lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus across the country.