Punjab’s pre-Eid virus curbs stir traders protest

Ag Agencies

LAHORE: As Punjab’s smart lockdown went into force on Tuesday, traders and police clashed in several areas of the province over the closure of markets ahead of Eidul Adha, Geo News reported.

The targeted lockdown measures — which are in effect until August 5 — came as the federal and provincial governments seek to prevent another spike of the coronavirus as Eidul Adha approaches, during which people flock to markets to shop for the holiday.

Pakistan has made significant strides in containing the spread of the virus, with 936 new cases recorded, the lowest in a 24-hour-period since April 28’s 807. The total number of cases is over 275,000 and deaths have edged over 5,800 with 23 new deaths.

Punjab’s traders defied the government’s orders to impose smart lockdowns to check the spread of novel coronavirus and announced they would open shops. Traders in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Jhang protested against the smart lockdown. Faisalabad’s business owners opened their shops, following which police rounded a number of them for violating the government’s orders.

Traders in a large Lahore market also protested against the lockdown which resulted in heated exchange of words between businessmen and police officials. The local administration urged traders to immediately close their shops.

Several shopkeepers were detained in Gujranwala for violating lockdown and resisting the provincial government’s orders, whereas, four shops were sealed in Sargodha and three shopkeepers were fined. There were also reports of baton charges being carried out to disperse angry protesters, according to Geo News.

Rawalpindi’s Central Traders Association and the Chamber of Commerce while announcing their will to open businesses argued that out of all four provinces only the government of Punjab had imposed lockdown ahead of Eidul Adha. A day earlier, trade bodies of Lahore rejected the government’s orders and said they would open the markets.