Karachi residents defy lockdown as movement continues in the metropolis

Areas such as Baloch Colony, Khudadad Colony, Jacob Lines and Gulshan-e-Iqbal have been sealed off to stem the spread of the virus

Web Desk

April 15, 2020

A boy brings his motorbike across a sidewalk, as the road is blocked by trucks, during a lockdown after the provincial government sealed eleven densely populated neighbourhoods amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Karachi, Pakistan. Photo: Reuters

Citizens in the metropolis continued to venture out in the streets of Karachi on Tuesday night even after more areas of District East were sealed off under the orders issued by Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Ali to slow down the local transmission of coronavirus, reported The News.

Areas such as Baloch Colony, Khudadad Colony, Jacob Lines, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s Block-3, Block-6, Block-7 and Block-13D were sealed off with the help of containers and trucks or water tankers.

Several areas of Gulistan-e-Jauhar were also partially sealed off, with a few apartment buildings, streets and housing colonies also sealed off in different areas of the district.

Law enforcement officials were also seen deployed inside and outside the mohallas of different areas.

The parts of the city that were sealed off fall under as many as eight different police jurisdictions. Union Committee-2 and three streets of Defence Housing Authority Phase-VIII were sealed off in the Baloch Colony police limits. UC-11 and Khudadad Colony’s two streets were sealed off in the Brigade police jurisdiction.

UC-9 and two roads leading from the University Road were sealed off in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal along with Abul Hassan Isphahani Road with the help of containers and water tankers at Paradise Bakery.

Police placed containers at Maskan Chowrangi to close off entry into the nearby areas. Containers were also placed at Gulshan Chowrangi across Rashid Minhas Road to create hurdles for traffic movement.

Apart from the localities falling under 11 UCs in District East, no other part of the city was closed off. Despite the sealing off of different areas, movement of rickshaws was seen in different parts of district.

A single-lane passage was left open for emergency vehicles and staff members of essential services in a few of the sealed off areas, but the localities around Jauhar Chowrangi and Jauhar Morr were completely closed off. A strict lockdown was also observed in District Central’s UC-15, UC-22, UC-24, UC-25, UC-45 and UC-47.

UC-15 covers Sector-11D/2 of North Karachi, UC-22 covers Hyderi in Block-F of North Nazimabad, UC-24 and UC-25 cover Sector-15A and Sector-15B of Buffer Zone, UC-45 covers Hadi Market, Nazimabad No. 3 and Nazimabad No. 4, and UC-47 covers Paposh Nagar.

According to the data shared by the director-general of Health Services, which operates under the Sindh Health Department, District East has the highest number (205) of Karachi’s novel coronavirus cases.

District East is closely followed by District South (191) and District Central (157), while the remaining districts of West, Malir and Korangi have reported 85, 74 and 60 cases respectively.

Town-wise data shows Saddar Town in District South as the worst affected part of the city with 166 reported cases, followed by Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in District East with 155 cases.