712 more arrested for violating lockdown restrictions

The law enforcers continued their actions against the coronavirus lockdown violators, with registering 215 new cases and arresting 712 people for the violation of Section 144 in Karachi on Wednesday.

Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said the police did not want to use force against the citizens. “A number of citizens were released after a warning as well,” Memon said on the third day of the lockdown. However, he added, the police were compelled to take stern action against those who were coming out home without a justified reason.

With everyday passing, the Sindh government is furthering the lockdown restrictions for the citizens as the number of coronavirus cases are increasing day by day. Karachi wore a deserted look on the third day of the province-wide lockdown which is being termed as a ‘virtual curfew’, with patrolling and snap-checking of the military and paramilitary soldiers as well as police on the roads and streets of Karachi.

The police and other security forces have also placed barricades on various arteries of the city to avoid the unnecessary movements of the citizens, especially after the Sindh government decided to intensify the lockdown in Karachi amid fears of the coronavirus spread and to ensure effective implementation of the lockdown from 8am to 8pm in which all shops will remain closed from. However, medical stores and hospitals have been exempted.

Troops and police personnel are stopping the citizens on various arteries of the city, only allowing them to further travel if the citizens have a justified reason.

“Only less than three people can be in a car. They should have a valid reason for the travel,” said a security personnel near the Imtiaz Super Market on Rashid Minhas Road. “It is difficult for us to stop and check each and every vehicle.”

In order to avoid the snap-checking, citizens are seen travelling more in the narrow streets am. “I don’t know who is being allowed or who is not to travel on roads. I don’t want to be arrested,” said a citizen, namely Farrukh.

Rest of Sindh

The provincial police also continued their actions against the lockdown violators in the rest of Sindh. According to the Sindh police spokesperson, they registered 18 cases and arrested 70 citizens in Hyderabad, three cases with the apprehensions of ten people in Mirpurkhas, nine citizens were arrested and three cases were registered in Shaheed Benazirabad, 43 citizens were arrested and nine cases were registered in Sukkar, while in Larkana a total six cases were registered and 16 citizens were arrested during the third day of the lockdown.

Section 144 has been imposed against the gathering of four or more than four people. Since the province-wide lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus was imposed on the midnight at the start of Monday, police officials started patrolling in the city to ensure that no one stepped out of their home without a good reason.