CM Mahmood Khan cites reasons for easing lockdown in KP

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said lockdown will remain enforced in KP only for two days a week (Saturday and Sunday) while markets and shops will open on rest of the days from morning to 7pm.

Addressing a press conference here at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Tuesday, he said the policy was made in the light of decisions taken in the last meeting of the National Coordination Committee.

However, he explained, the relaxation in the lockdown was subject to strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued by the provincial government. The chief minister said that the provincial government is working on opening inter-district public transport subject to the implementation of the SOPs. He maintained that SOPs were being developed to open the tourism industry in the province as well, said an official handout.

Mahmood Khan said the government had to protect the people from coronavirus pandemic, on the one hand, and from poverty and starvation, on the other. He made it clear that the government had decided to relax the lockdown due to the difficulties faced by the people, especially the vulnerable segments of society. However, he stated, adoption of precautionary measures and implementation of SOPs had become even more important with the relaxation in lockdown. “Implementation of SOPs will be strictly monitored by the local administration, and in case of violation of SOPs, the business would be closed again,” he warned. The chief minister appealed to the public, traders, business communities, transporters and all other segments of society to strictly follow the SOPs and preventive measures against coronavirus.