ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army was mobilised to enforce coronavirus safety protocols in the federal capital and Peshawar on Saturday after Prime Minister Imran Khan sought its help in curbing the spread of the virus in the country.
Officials of the Islamabad administration visited various areas in the city on Friday with Army personnel in tow to enforce the implementation of coronavirus protocols. Assistant Commissioner Rana Musa Tahir visited different commercial areas with an Army and police escort and took action against violators.
The district administration, in a statement, said 1,997 inspections were carried out on Friday, while 28 shops and one restaurant were sealed for violating coronavirus SOPs.
Nine people were arrested for hoarding and violation of SOPs, the administration said, adding, that fines worth Rs226,000 were imposed for not abiding by safety protocols.
The Army and district administration officials also inspected 85 mosques, said the statement.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Dr Ehtisham-ul-Haq said the district administration along with the Pakistan Army has been taking action against violation of safety protocols and that so far 200 people had been arrested in Peshawar.
The Assistant Commissioner appealed to the people to follow safety measures as the third wave of the pandemic has intensified. “Citizens are persistently defying coronavirus SOPs,” he said.
“People should follow SOPs otherwise our situation will turn into the one prevailing in the neighbouring country (India),” he added.
The development came after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government penned a letter to the federal government seeking the Army’s assistance in implementing SOPs.
“The provincial government is taking effective measures against coronavirus,” the letter said, adding, that despite the efforts, the positivity ratios in big cities are on the rise.
The letter said the National Command and Operations Centre had called for more effective measures to be taken, and therefore, the provincial government seeks the Army’s help.