Punjab seeks deployment of Pak Army to enforce Covid SOPs

After Center, the Punjab government on Saturday also sought deployment of the Pakistan Army in five districts to ensure enforcement of COVID-19 SOPs in the province.

Punjab is so far the worst-hit province with the third wave of coronavirus, reporting 98 of the 157 total deaths during the last 24 hours.

According to sources, the Home Ministry of Punjab has written a letter to the Interior Ministry, requesting the deployment of five companies of the Pakistan Army to effectively enforce SOPs in the province.

Sources claim that the interior ministry has approved the requisition, after which Army personnel will be deployed in the worst-hit districts of Punjab, including Lahore.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Punjab, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, also confirmed the development, saying that the provincial government had submitted a requisition in this regard.

“The armed forces will work alongside police and civil administration in major cities of the province,” Dr. Awan said while confirming that Punjab has witnessed a worsening trend of COVID spread.

The SACM confirmed that the deployment will take place the next week.

The development in the Center, as well as Punjab, came after Prime Minister Imran Khan hinted at the deployment of the Pakistan Army to help implementation on health guidelines against the pandemic.

While addressing the masses following a National Coordination Committee’s (NCC) meeting on Friday, PM Khan said if the SOPs are not followed, the government will be compelled to impose a lockdown.

“If a lockdown is imposed the working class will suffer the most,” he said.