Karachi shopkeepers beat up Rangers personnel enforcing Covid SOPs

KARACHI: Shopkeepers in Karachi’s Lyari on Tuesday attacked Rangers and police personnel who visited the area to ensure implementation of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), ARY News reported.

According to details, the incident took place in Lyari’s Bihar Colony area where Rangers and police personnel were beaten up by shopkeepers after the LEAs visited the area to enforce government set Covid-19 SOPs in wake of the third Covid-19 wave.

According to police, the Rangers and police personnel visited Bihar colony, a neighborhood located in Lyari over complaints of violation of coronavirus SOPs.

The police said that two shopkeepers who tortured Rangers personnel have been arrested. Both the accused are brothers.

A case has been registered against the two accused on the behalf of the state, said the police.

In a similar type of incident reported yesterday in Karachi, the residents of the Gharibabad area of Karachi had protested against the violence on shopkeepers by police during the closing of shops.

The Sindh Home Department notified on May. 7 a set of restrictions to stem the spread of the coronavirus during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.

“Activities related to Eid are very likely to contribute to the spread of disease and accordingly it was decided at NCOC to take further measures to reduce mobility/movement during forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr,” a notification issued by the department read.

Following are the measures the department has notified, effective from May 9 to May 16.

There shall be no unnecessary movement of people and gathering of any kind at any place
All tourist spots, picnic places, including beaches (Hawksbay, Sandspit, Sea View etc), and recreational park shall remain closed for public.
There will be a ban on all kinds of public transport i.e. within city, inter-city and inter-provincial.