Exams Postponed, Pillion Riding Banned As Strict COVID-19 Lockdown Begins

Sindh Home Department has issued notification of COVID -19 lockdown restrictions in the province.

According to the notification, partial lockdown will be enforced in Sindh from today and citizens will be banned from leaving their homes unnecessarily while pillion riding of motorcycles will also be banned and more than two persons in vehicles will be able to travel in case of emergency.

The notification said that grocery, bakery, vegetable and meat shops will be open till 6 pm.

According to the notification, buses are not permitted to run, only rickshaw taxis will run while only home delivery will be allowed from restaurants.

The notification said that all the examinations have been postponed till August 8 and all the universities have been closed till August 8.

In addition, educational, commercial, religious, recreational and sports activities will be completely banned, while funeral prayers and other religious rites will be performed with the knowledge of the SHO.

It may be recalled that the Sindh government has decided to impose a lockdown across the province from July 31 to August 8 in view of the deteriorating situation in Coronavirus.

Businessmen Slam Complete Lockdown In Sindh

The businessmen on Friday rejected the decision of the Sindh government to impose a complete lockdown for the prevention of coronavirus spread in the province, a statement said.

Mian Nasir Hayat Maggo, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), urged the Sindh government to review the decision.

The Sindh government decided to impose a complete lockdown from August 2, 2021 in the wake of the alarming spread of the Delta variant during the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The FPCCI president suggested the industry should be allowed to remain operational seven days a week. Further, restaurants and eateries should be allowed takeaway and delivery round-the-clock, he said.

Maggo said that the grocery stores should be allowed to remain open till 8:00pm, adding that Karachi, which is the commercial hub of the country, should be exempted from complete lockdown.

The FPCCI president said in case of industry closure, the employers would not be able to pay salaries to their employees.

In another statement, Zubair Motiwala, chairman of the Businessmen Group (BMG) and former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said that complete lockdown was not a solution.

The cases would rise after lifting the lockdown, he said, adding: “Deterrence against coronavirus pandemic will only be created through vaccination and strict implementation of SOPs.”

The provincial government should implement vaccination instead of closing down everything.

Motiwala said that the complete lockdown had repercussions on the poor segments of the society. “Small traders and daily wagers will be adversely affected due to the lockdown,” he added.