District admin rejects traders' demand to postpone lockdown until after Eidul Azha.

Byline: Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI -- The district administration on Tuesday rejected traders' demands to lock down Narankari Bazaar and Bara Market after Eidul Azha and also unsealed 22 areas that had been sealed two weeks ago after a surge in Covid-19 cases.

However, eight other areas localities have been locked down.

The district administration has also rejected traders' demands to seal Narankari Bazaar and Bara Market after Eid.

'We did not give relaxations to the traders because they failed to take precautions and implement standard operating procedures (SOP) in the main markets,' Additional Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa said.

22 areas have been unsealed after two weeks, eight others locked down in Pindi

He said that traders' representatives from both markets met with the administration, asking for them to be sealed after Eid, but they were told the lockdown will be in place soon after a notification from the Punjab Home Department is received.

Mr Jappa said that visitors and shopkeepers in markets have not complied with SOPs introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus. People are not practicing social distancing and wearing masks and markets have not provided hand washing facilities or sanitisers.

The administration has identified hotspots where a high number of cases are being reported, and has no choice but to enforce lockdowns, he said.

Narankari Bazaar Traders Association President Sheikh Sadaqat told Dawn that they had asked for the lockdown to be postponed until after Eid because the food supply chain would be disrupted, but the administration refused.

Mr Sadaqat said traders would begin agitation, but added that there is no plan in place in this regard and one would be made after consultation with other traders.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq told Dawn that 'we lifted the lockdown in 22 localities and sealed eight more localities in the garrison city to limit the spread of the coronavirus'.

He said that residents and shopkeepers in these eight areas have been told that the lock down will remain in force till July 3. A total of 50,920 households are affected.

The sealed areas...