ISLAMABAD: The capital administration on Saturday opened all the shrines in the capital with no restrictions on timing.

Administration officials said shrine caretakers have been told to enforce standard operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Social distancing guidelines will be practiced, they said, and no one will be allowed to touch anything, instead graves of saints, and tabarruk will not be permitted.

Pilgrims will be checked for fever before they are allowed to enter the shrine, and they will be provided hand-washing facilities or hand sanitiser.

The timings for commercial centres have also been extended for five more hours for two days in an attempt to reduce crowding during Eid shopping, and their timings have also been increased by two more hours after May 24.

The five-hour increase will only extend to two days if the Shawal crescent is not sighed on Saturday, otherwise it will be in place for one day. The order will only be in effect on Saturday and Sunday, and was issued Saturday afternoon.

The administration already reduced restrictions once earlier this week, when commercial centres were allowed to open seven days a week instead of five, as originally permitted. Officials said this was because of pressure from the traders community and their unions.

They said that large crowds were seen in commercial centres such as Karachi Company, Aabpara Market, Bhara Kahu, Taramri, G-10, G-11 and a few other markazes as people shopped for Eidul Fitr, and because centres were opened after two months.

All the SOPs to prevent the spread of the coronavirus were violated in these markets, they said, while traders demanded that timing restrictions be lifted to reduce crowding.

After May 24, markazes, shops and markets will be allowed to open from 9am to 7pm. Initially, the timings were from sehri to 5pm.

A notification issued from the office of the deputy commissioner said that in continuation of the order issued on May 5, additional exemptions have been granted and all the shrines under the administrative control of the Auqaf and Religion Affairs department are allowed to open all week subject to the implementation of SOPs and guidelines.

Shops, markets and businesses already allowed to operate may open from 9am to 10pm on May 23 and 24, and will operate from 9am to 7pm after May 24.

The administration has also banned the use of motorcycles without silencers for four days, officials said.

An order issued from the deputy commissioner’s office said that some motorcyclists may create public nuisance onChand Raatby riding motorcycles with the silencers removed. It said this was sufficient grounds to prohibit the use of motorcycles without silencers. The order will be in force from May 23 to May 26.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2020