LAHORE: The Lahore police registered 229 first information reports (FIRs) against the citizens for violating Covid standard operating procedures (SOPs), including wearing face masks.

Following the government’s new directions to implement the Covid SOPs, it was the first large scale police action launched against the common citizens in Lahore, which reported over 20pc infection rate since the pandemic hit Punjab.

On the other hand, 2,309 more people tested positive for the virus while 17 died in the province during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 215,227 and deaths to 6,244. Most of them, 1,478, were reported from Lahore, which had been at the top of all other districts of the province for reporting the maximum number of new infections and deaths.

About the FIRs, a spokesperson for the Lahore police said 124 cases had been registered during the last 24 hours with various police stations on violation of the Covid SOPs, including maintenance of social distance and timings of commercial activities.

“Similarly, 105 cases were registered against persons for not wearing face masks.”

The spokesperson said most of the cases of SOPs violations were observed in the Walled City.

The City Division police registered 33 FIRs against the citizens for not wearing face masks and 68 for violating other SOPs. Fifty-two FIRs were registered with the Civil Lines Division for violating SOPs, 34 with Iqbal Town Division, 21 with Model Town Division, 28 with Cantt Division whereas four cases were lodged with Saddar Division.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said all the precautions and guidelines given by government were for the protection of life and health of the citizens. He said joint teams of police, district administration and health personnel had been monitoring the implementation of directions of government regarding the SOPs. He asked the public and the traders to follow the guidelines to avoid inconvenience.

The CCPO further said special pickets would be set up at different points of the city on a regular basis to check the implementation Covid SOPs. He made it clear that police officers, if found violating the Covid-19 SOPs, would also be booked in the same way as the common citizens.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2021