CM Mahmood Khan visits Peshawar city areas to inspect arrangements

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to various areas of the city to review the arrangements made by the local administration in view of the possible outbreak of coronavirus.

Markets, shopping plazas, restaurants, wedding halls, parks and other places of public gathering have been shut with the aim to maintain social distancing and minimize public gathering in the face of the coronavirus threat.

An official handout said the chief minister visited Gulbahar, Nistherabad, Hashtnagri, Qissa Khwani, University Road and other places without any protocol and security arrangements.

Expressing satisfaction at the measures and arrangements made by the local administration to keep the public places closed, he said the provincial government had decided to keep all such public places closed as a preventive measure but groceries stores, medical stores and other shops dealing with essential items would remain open round-the-clock.

Mahmood Khan appealed to the general public to remain at homes, avoid public places, minimize people-to-people contacts, maintain social distancing and strictly follow other precautionary measures.

He said the overall situation of the province with regard to coronavirus outbreak was good enough and added that the provincial government had put in all efforts to improve the situation. The chief minister urged the public for maximum cooperation to make the government’s efforts to fight the pandemic fruitful.

He expressed his gratitude to the owners of shopping plazas, restaurants and markets for the support extended to the government for keeping these public places closed and hoped they would continue the support in the coming days as well. Mahmood Khan lauded the role of civil administration, police, Army, Rescue 1122 and Health workers in fighting against the coronavirus and said that better teamwork and coordinated efforts would definitely yield fruitful results.