KARACHI: Police on Tuesday said that 239 persons were arrested across Sindh over violation of the lockdown measures implemented by the provincial government to contain the growing cases of coronavirus (Covid-19).

They were held on charges of violations of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code and hoarding masks, sanitizers, gloves etc.

Giving a breakdown of the arrests, the police sources said that 26 people were detained in Karachi — 14 in East zone, seven in West zone and five in South zone of the metropolis where a total of 30 FIRs were registered.

The other persons were detained in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana as the law enforcement agency registered 73 cases across the province.

Sindh IGP Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar directed all the officers to ensure all those people who were part of a recent Tableeghi Jamaat congregation to remain in the Tableeghi centres and those centres be converted into quarantines for them.

He asked the officers to send lists of people present at these Tableeghi centres at email address igpoperationsroom@gmail.com, said a statement.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2020