Hide and seek between merchants and police comes to halt

Rawalpindi : Merchants while lauding decision of the government for relaxing coronavirus lockdown took a sigh of relief as Eid season is around the corner. For the last few weeks specifically following the advent of the holy month of Ramazan, there were reports that merchants were treating customers by keeping down the shutters of their shops in absence of police patrolling in major and commercial areas of the city.

“Public and merchant community is facing a nightmare like situation in wake of COVID-19 since last 46 days lockdown that has never been imagined in our society,” said Wajid Shah, a local representative of merchant community in Commercial Market of Rawalpindi.

Following the advent of Ramzan, merchants were left with no other option to treat customers by putting down shutters as police patrolling was made continuously to shutdown markets and business activities on account of COVID-19 spread, said Wajid Shah.

There were instances that police locked various shops while customers remained closed inside the shops along with shopkeepers, while dozens of shopkeepers were also fined and booked for violating government directives as precautionary measures against coronavirus.

Hundreds of cases were registered and dozens of people were arrested in the last 46 days against violation of Section 144 and on violation of directives of the government on coronavirus lockdown.

Some instances of police maltreatment were also reported by police officials towards citizens; however city police officer taking lead from the front succeeded in diffusing tension between police and public.

The police department on the whole in wake of Covid-19 has restored its image towards public policing and played a positive role in bridging the trust deficit between the public and police.

As per directives of the government, conditional ease in prevailing lockdown has been made for smaller industries including shops in smaller markets. Meanwhile, mega shopping malls, departmental stores, restaurants, hotels, wedding halls, cinemas, public gatherings, concert halls, sports activities and automobiles industries have not been allowed to open.

A senior police official stated that amidst ease in COVID-19 lockdown, the public should demonstrate responsibility and ensure the usage of facemasks and hand sanitizers in routine to ensure the safety of one another against coronavirus pandemic.