RAWALPINDI: Police sealed two garment shopping malls in Commercial Market, Satellite Town, and arrested their owners and managers for violating the Covid-19 lockdown.

The lockdown announced by the government came into effect on May 8 and will remain in force till May 16.

During the lockdown, all educational institutions, markets, public parks, public transport and recreational sports will remain closed.

Under the new instructions, people who will violate the coronavirus lockdown and commit serious breaches will be arrested while action will also be taken against those not wearing face masks.

Police continued its crackdown against the lockdown violators on Tuesday and sealed two shopping malls in Commercial Market and arrested their owners.

A police spokesman said the owners of Al-Jannat Mall and Bin Chirag were arrested.

Mr Khayyam, the owner and manager of Al-Jannat Mall, had opened the mall in defiance of government orders and endangered the lives of the citizens, said the spokesman.

He said Sheikh Sajjad, son of Bin Chirag, and his son Faizan, also violated government orders and committed serious breach by opening the mall and endangering the lives of the citizens.

Police said Al-Jannat Mall and Bin Chirag have been sealed.

Police had registered 37 FIRs against those found violating the Covid-19 lockdown and arrested 79 people on Monday.

On the other hand, the police have chalked out a security plan to enforce Covid-19 lockdown more strictly and check wheeling by motorcyclists during Eidul Fitr holidays with the deployment of more than 3,300 personnel in the Rawalpindi district.

To prevent tourists from entering Murree hills, 400 police personnel, including officers and traffic police, dolphin force, and mounted force will be deployed on Eid.

As part of the security plan, police will be patrolling on vans and motorcycles in their respective areas. The police have appealed to the public to immediately report to the police if they spotted any suspicious activity or object.

On the other hand, Chief Traffic Officer Mazhar Iqbal has directed officials concerned to establish 33 new checkpoints in the city to prevent wheeling by motorcyclists. As many as 198 traffic police personnel will be performing duty to check wheeling.

The traffic police squads will be supervised by four DSPs, 19 inspectors, 63 traffic wardens and 112 traffic assistants.

The chief traffic officer said police will be using all its resources to protect human lives and prevent wheeling.

“Those found doing wheeling will face legal action.”

He said during Ramazan the special one wheeling squads formed by the traffic police registered FIRs against 51 motorcyclists involved in wheeling.

He appealed to parents not to allow their children to use motorcycles for wheeling.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2021

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