Punjab Home Department on Sunday issued a notification regarding the closure of all commercial activities in Rawalpindi city for only two days (Friday and Saturday) rather than three days a week. The Government of the Punjab Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department through a Notification No SO (G) P&SHD/4-1/2021 has directed Deputy Commissioner (DC) to follow this order and allow the opening of all commercial activities in garrison city on Sunday.
“I am directed to refer to your request on the subject called above. I am further directed to state that your request has been examined in this department and the competent authority has been pleased to accept your request regarding the complete closure of commercial activities on Friday and Saturday, in line with local customs and the demand of local traders, instead of Saturday and Sunday as provided under this department’s order number SO (G) P&SHD/4-1/2021,” the notification stated.
Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi Captain (r) Anwar-ul-Haq told ‘The News’ that the Punjab government has properly issued a notification and directed him to open all commercial activities on Sunday. All commercial activities in garrison city will be closed down completely on Friday and Saturday in a week, he claimed.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has accepted the request of Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed to end the tussle between traders and district administration on the issue of closure of shops and markets three days a week. The traders of city and cantonment board areas have opened all shops and will close down shops at 7:30 pm rather 6:00 pm on regular basis. The decision between Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had been finalized on Saturday night.
All Pakistan Traders Association (Punjab) President Shirjeel Mir said that we will not close down shops and markets in the month of Ramazan. He said that the business community was already facing a financial crisis, how we could survive in this situation, he said. He said that we will close shops at 7:30 pm rather than 6:00 pm. Meanwhile, there is a likelihood that Section 188 will be imposed in federal capital, Islamabad to immediately arrest violators of SOPs. Section 144 was already imposed in the federal capital, Islamabad for over a week but despite it citizens continuously committing SOPs violations.
District Health Officer (DHO), Islamabad Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia said that majority of citizens were not following SOPs in routine. “I am strongly advising to impose Section 188 here in the federal capital, Islamabad,” he said. He said that majority of people yet taking coronavirus issues non-seriously which was dangerous.
