Federal govt green lights Sindh's request to open shopping malls

KARACHI: Federal government on Tuesday gave permission to Sindh government in principle to go ahead with opening of shopping malls in the province, ARY News reported.

Federal Ministry for National Health Regulations wrote to Sindh government in this regard notifying them of the approval.

National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) were tasked to go through the request and see its pros and cons to suggest the federal government on the matter.

Federal Ministry for National Health Regulations’ letter to the government of Sindh greenlit the request but asked for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be strictly enforced.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan earlier in the day had said that the decision regarding reopening of shopping malls, markets across the country was till Eid-ul-Fitr and it will be reviewed after Eid.

The five-members of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed resumed hearing the suo moto case today. Other members of the bench were Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed.

During the hearing, the Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan told the top court that coronavirus cases expected to peak in Pakistan by early June, and people were not taking the Covid-19 threat seriously after the apex court ordered to open shopping malls, markets.