KARACHI/NAWABSHAH - Over 300 caterers, decorators, valet parking employees and wedding photographers staged a protest Sunday morning at Five Star Chowrangi against the closure of wedding halls in Karachi.

The protesters made garlands out of Naan and Roti and wore them to protest against the government. They said that due to the lockdown, their families had been forced to starve. The protesters warned that if the government did not announce reopening of wedding halls by July 3 under SoPs, they will take things into their own hands and resume business themselves.

Due to the protests, the road from Five Star Chowrangi to Sakhi Hassan had been completely blocked. The protesters were only allowing ambulances to pass. The police reached the site but negotiations have so far been unsuccessful. All public places including wedding halls across the country have been closed due to the novel coronavirus spread. Pakistan has reported more than 200,000 cases so far.

 Meanwhile, police arrested a drug peddler while also seized a large quantity of whiskey wine in a successful operation against drug peddlers here on Sunday.

According to police sources, the operation was conducted by Qazi Ahmed Police on special directives of Senior Superintendent of Police Tanveer Hussain Tunio in order to safeguard the life and property of general public and elimination of drug peddlers and criminal elements.

Qazi Ahmed Police acting on a tip off conducted raid in village Shahmeer in the jurisdiction of the police station and recovered 100 wine bottles.

Police also claimed to have arrested one accused identified as Sarwar Zardari.

Police said that accused Sarwar Zardari was involved in drug peddling for a long time. Police have registered a case and started investigation.