–Balochistan spokesperson says easing of lockdown depends on people’s willingness to follow the SOPs
–KP govt directs district admins to take strict in case of rules violation
QUETTA/PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan governments on Sunday warned that they will have to “convert smart lockdown into strict lockdown” if people continued to ignore the standard operating procedures (SOPs), chalked up to contain the Covid-19 infections.
Addressing the media in Quetta, Balochistan government’s spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said that traders and people have until May 19th to ensure that they follow SOPs; otherwise, the government will tighten the lockdown. “Easing of the lockdown depends on the people’s level of responsibility.”
Shahwani added that so far 528 people had been stopped by police in Quetta for violating SOPs and 16 shops had been sealed.
He expressed disappointment over residents’ failure to take precautionary measures, saying that if the public continued to violate standard operating procedures, the number of cases in the province will increase.
“We are reminding traders of their responsibilities, we said wear masks, not helmets,” he said.
“I ask those who live in colder areas, during winters, in Quetta for example, they wear three mufflers, the most you get from cold is the flu. We do so much to protect ourselves from the cold, why can’t we wear a small mask. This means we do not have a sense of responsibility,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, KP CM’s adviser Ajmal Wazir said the government will have to increase in the restrictions in case of non-compliance with the SOPs.
The adviser said all district administrations have been instructed to take strict action against those violating the SOPs. He said the provincial government is committed to protecting the lives of people from the pandemic.
Ajmal Wazir lauded the traders’ cooperation for implementation of the SOPs to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the province. He said the government has allowed public transport to resume operations under the SOPs.
The government will monitor their activities to ensure necessary precautions are taken, he maintained, adding that the restrictions might be eased if the SOPs were followed.
