PESHAWAR - The crowded mosques and markets with following no SOPs in many districts of KP is likely to push the province into a worse state.
Following the move of the government to ease the lockdown, thousands of masses with no precautionary measures have been rushing to the mosques and markets in several districts of KP.
The capital of province Peshawar is already the worst district in terms of more deaths and confirmed corona cases; however, despite the frequent warnings of the government and health experts the masses are yet to follow the directives completely.
While talking to The Nation Naseem Afridi, a businessman hailing from Peshawar, said that the people were very careless in adapting the SOPs during their visit to mosques or markets.
He stated that the government should review its move on relaxing the lockdown as the masses will never adopt the SOPs fixed by the government.
Meanwhile, a senior official from Peshawar administration told The Nation that the violations of SOPs for mosques during Taraweeh and Friday prayers all over the province and particularly in Peshawar was a usual act and despite the frequent warnings the masses are paying no heed towards the directives of the government.
It is pertinent to mention that in a latest report it was said that the death ratio in the Peshawar was high and stood at 8.75 per cent and the positive cases in the province were 14.9 per cent while the ratio of deaths stood at 34 per cent. KP’s death ratio of 5.19 per cent was the highest in the country as compared to national average of 2.1 per cent.
Same is the situation in Nowshera as the markets are full of visitors and the administration is helpless to curb them or make them follow the SOPs.
According to the latest report, hundreds of people have been visiting the mosques including elderly people and children and such attitude of the people has created a sense of uncertainty among many.
Meanwhile, in Swat the second most affected region of KP, is heading towards the worst possible situation as many markets and mosques which are witnessing huge rush with no precautionary measures and the administration and religious clerics are yet to convince masses to stay home or follow the SOPs.
It is important here to mention that the earlier reports had asked the provincial government to strictly implement SOPs for mosques and markets and have a consensus with local community and mosque committees to take masses into confidence.