PESHAWAR: The City Police have booked health minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra for hosting an iftar dinner at a local restaurant in violation of Covid-19 standard operating procedures.

The FIR, which also named the restaurant’s management, was registered by the Sarband police station early on Tuesday over a social media uproar, which erupted after pictures of the minister’s iftar party were widely shared online.

Sarband police registered the FIR under sections 6 and 17 of the KP Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Act, 2020, against provincial minister for health and management of the Hujra restaurant, where the iftar party was arranged.

Section 6 of the law provides for the restrictions relating to the attendance in public places, schools and burials and declares that the violation carries punishment with an imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or a fine not exceeding Rs50,000, or both.

Peshawar admin promises action over SOP violation

The FIR stated that the minister and management violated the Covid-19 SOPs, therefore, should be charged under the relevant sections.

On Monday night, Mattani assistant commissioner Adil Ayub approached the Sarband police, which have jurisdiction over the area, where the Hujra restaurant is located, for the registration of FIR against the minister and restaurant management after the iftar party’s pictures went viral.

The pictures showed the health minister and several others sitting in the restaurant in complete disregard of social distancing and mask protocols.

In a statement issued here, the deputy commissioner’s office said the restaurant had been sealed after the issue surfaced.

It said the district administration raided the restaurant after the pictures and reports about the health minister’s iftar party were widely shared on social media.

According to it, the restaurant staff claimed to have informed the minister about the ban on indoor dining.

“The participants brought their own food from outside for the party. Later, the administration asked the police to register FIR against the minister, owner and manager of the Hujra Restaurant for violating SOPs.”

The statement said administration was carrying out indiscriminate action against SOP violators, including health minister and restaurant management, would also be proceed against under the relevant sections of law.

The home and tribal affairs department had earlier on April 24 banned all types of indoor and outdoor cultural musical and religious gatherings besides imposing a ban on indoor and outdoor dining in restaurants.

However, both the city police and district administration were tight-lipped about actions they were taking after the registration of FIR.

A spokesman for the police said the media would be ‘alerted in case of any breakthrough’ in the case.

DC retired Captain Khalid Mehmood did not respond to this correspondent’s call on and questions sent to his mobile number regarding the action on the matter.

45 DEATHS by COVID: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the death of 45 people by Covid-19 on Tuesday.

A report issued by health department revealed that 12 people died of the virus in Peshawar, 10 in Swabi, eight in Mardan, seven in Swat, two each in Kohat, Charsadda and Bannu, and one each in Abbottabad and Nowshera.

The deaths by the virus since its outbreak in Feb last year total 3,201, while the overall cases in the province stand at 115,596.

According to the report, Peshawar recorded 220 new cases, Swat 105, Mardan 99, Lower Dir 65, Malakand 62, Upper Dir 45, Kohat 44, Nowshera 36 and Swabi 33.

The number of recoveries from the virus was 2,006 in the last 24 hours.

There’re a total of 12,344 active coronavirus patients in the province, which had recorded 8,292 tests.

The report said the Khyber Teaching Hospital had 100 Covid-19 patients, Hayatabad Medical complex 156, Lady Reading Hospital 403 and Covid-19 Hospital Nishartabad 58.

The health officials said the vaccination against the virus was in progress in the province.

They said in the five high-risk districts of the province, the Pakistan Army was engaged in patrolling along with the police to ensure the people’s adherence to SOPs.

The officials said the third wave of the infection was very lethal, so the people should stay home instead of going out unnecessarily.

The district administration said it, on the directives of the chief secretary, had escalated patrolling in infected districts to ensure that the people observe social distancing, wear mask and use hand sanitiser.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2021