Only two passengers allowed in rickshaws during lockdown: CM Murad

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed city police officials to ensure that any rickshaw operating in Karachi during the lockdown should not carry more than two passengers, reported The News.

The chief minister issued these directives while chairing a meeting of the coronavirus task force on Saturday evening.

“Those violating the order should be made to abort their journey while the rickshaws should be impounded,” Shah said.

When asked what issued were being faced by the authorities in enforcing the lockdown orders, DIG South Zone said the police had easily persuaded the residents of Defence to observe the lockdown, however, they were facing difficulties in convincing people from the old city areas such as Lyari and Saddar to stay indoors.

“We have been facing difficulties to a certain extent but as the time passes on, people have come to realise the situation as they have now started to obey the lockdown orders by staying at home,” he remarked.

Read also: Sindh information minister warns of action against those violating lockdown

The chief minister also asked the police officers whether specific directives had been passed on to the police personnel deputed at the checkpoints in the city about the steps procedure they needed to take to deal with the public.

SSP West informed the meeting that the people involved in the transportation of food items, sale and purchase of medicines, and workers of such factories were allowed to cross the police checkpoints. He said people who thronged any particular street in the city were also asked to go back to their homes.

Commissioner Karachi said goods’ transport was allowed to operate in the city but people should be stopped from roaming around the streets aimlessly. He said that learned police personnel were deployed at the checkpoints.

SSP South Sheraz Waheed said the police personnel deployed at the checkpoints had been informed about the exceptional cases that should be exempted from the lockdown orders.

He said the lockdown orders were not being implemented on the staffers of K-Electric and banks.

DC Korangi who was also present at the meeting said a large number of people had been gathering at places where rations were being distributed despite the government telling them that the rations would be distributed to those in need at their doorstep.

The chief minister said those coming out of their houses without any valid reason should be stopped. “No residential street should have more than two people at a time and any extra people seen on the streets should be sent to their houses,” he said.

Read also: No one will be allowed on roads after 8pm: Sindh home dept

Shah also directed the police not to ask the general public to wear surgical masks.

“Shoppers outside a grocery market should maintain some distance among them”, he said.

1,133 people arrested for violating lockdown orders

Additional IG Karachi informed the meeting that some 1,133 persons had been arrested in the city against 391 FIRs registered for violating the lockdown. He said there was complete closure of shops of non-essential items in the city.

The additional IG added people were also not allowed to take part in the congregational prayers and said the process of ration distribution in the city had to be organised as people were flocking to such places without maintaining social distancing where they found food items being distributed.