Sindh govt imposes ban on stalls of Iftar items in view of COVID-19 threat

Keeping the restrictions on businesses intact during Ramazan, the Sindh government on Friday banned makeshift food stalls in the province selling Iftar items as they could become a source of COVID-19 transmission due to attracting a large number of shoppers.

The Sindh home department has issued a notification to inform the public about restrictions on businesses during the holy month. The government, however, has allowed the food retailers to sell Iftar items through home delivery service only.

The notification reads: “Restriction on timings for coming out of homes from 5pm to 8am with the exceptions already given in the order dated April-14, 2020 shall continue. Businesses as allowed from 8am to 5pm for permissible activities with certain exceptions as per order, shall continue. However, exceptions given to milk and dairy shops to operate till 8pm shall be subject to condition that no sale of samosa, pakora, jalaibi and such other Iftar items shall be permitted.”

As shops selling traditional Iftar items such as samosa, pakora, jalaibi and fruit-chat, are usually seen with large crowds before the Iftar timings, the government has decided not to allow customers to go to such shops to buy the aforesaid items. The food items may however be provided to households through the home delivery service as per the already issued standard operating procedures.

The home department has also made it clear that the Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance will be strictly enforced in the province during the holy month. The notification reads that people can only offer Taraweeh prayers at their home.

“Restaurants may operate for home delivery only and no take-away or customer dining shall be allowed. Home delivery timings for cooked food shall be from 5pm to 10pm only. No delivery at other time is permissible. The same timings shall strictly apply to drive through outlets but no take away from any restaurant and shop is allowed.”

According to the notification, if any person, owner or manager engaged in any permissible activity was found violating any of the instructions in the order, they would be liable for action in accordance with the law as per the Section 4 of the Sindh Epidemic Disease Control Act 2014 as well as any other applicable law.

The home department has also warned all the business units, shops, manufacturing and non-manufacturing units that if they were found violating the SOPs for the COVID-19 emergency, they will be immediately closed.

The notification reads that the secretaries of relevant departments such as the industries and labour departments, and the Food Regulatory Authority, as well as divisional commissioners have been empowered under the Section 3(1) of the aforesaid law to issue further orders, directions and notices to put this order into effect in letter and spirit and clarify it further for the implementation.

However, any such new order or notice is to be issued by taking on board the police and relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure a proper implementation mechanism. Inspection teams of the administration, industries and labour departments duly authorised by deputy commissioners or the secretaries concerned may check any place any time for compliance with the directions issued by the government.

“Deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner, labour officer concerned as well as personnel of law enforcement agencies not below the rank of inspector police (or of equivalent rank for other law enforcement agencies) are empowered under Section 3(1) of the said Act to take legal action as per the applicable laws on any act in contravention of this order,” the notification reads. “This order shall come into force at once and shall remain in force till the end of Ramazan”.