KP promulgates ordinance to ensure essential commodities supply

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) the government on Tuesday promulgated an ordinance for smooth supply of essential commodities and discourage hoarding.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir told a press briefing that the government had finalized a list of 30 essential items where the hoarders of the identified items would be arrested without any warrant.

“The government has categorically decided to discourage hoarders who will be arrested without any warrants, sent behind bars for three years,” the adviser said during the press briefing, said an official handout.

The adviser said the ordinance empowered deputy commissioners to raid suspected stores without any prior permission, adding the informers’ details will be kept confidential. Taking about Covid-19, the advisor said with seven persons lost lives during the last 24 hours, and thus the total number of deaths due to the virus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stood at 74. The total number of infected persons, who tested positive, is 1,276 including 39 cases confirmed during last 24 hours, he added. “I appeal everyone to please stay home and avoid unnecessary movement since the viral cases are being reported on a daily basis, showing a constant rise,” Ajmal Wazir said.

The adviser said one person could transfer the virus to his or her family and ultimately the entire family could contract the virus and then the entire neighbourhood, adding the government was utilizing all its resources in order to protect its people.

Talking about the ongoing efforts against Covid-19 in KP, the advisor stated that around 520 Pakistanis crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan who were later shifted to a quarantine centre established at Landikotal Degree College and Shahkas. He said the quarantine centres were equipped and those being kept there would be provided all the facilities, adding those testing negative would be sent home and those found positive would be taken care of.

Clarifying a statement issued by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah about three patients who had come from KP and tested positive in Sindh, Ajmal Wazir said it was not a time for point-scoring and that the three persons could have contracted the virus when on way to Sindh.The adviser said KP government started from 20 tests a day for Covid-19 and now that capacity had been raised to 1000 per day. ax