KARACHI: A local court on Monday released as many as 300 people arrested for violating the lockdown and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent coronavirus in the city.

Police claimed to have arrested around 300 individuals for allegedly violating the Covid-19 SOPs in different areas of district South.

They were booked in several FIRs registered under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

On Monday, the investigating officers produced them before the judicial magistrate (South) Uzair Ali Khan to seek their physical remand in police custody for interrogation and investigation.

The judge expressed his displeasure over production of the suspects in court without providing them face masks.

He noted that the police themselves were flouting SOPs, thus why shouldn’t they also be arrested for committing such violations.

The judge inquired from the IOs as to who had ordered registration of the FIRs against citizens under Section 188 and directed them to submit a written reply in this regard on the next date.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2021