KP relaxes lockdown for various businesses

The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday notified relaxation of lockdown for various businesses across the province from Thursday (today) with adherence to precautionary measures as defined by the government.

According to official communiqué, barber, electrician, mechanic, agriculture machinery mechanic, cement plant, fertilizer industry, brick kiln, drycleaner, building materials, sanitary shops, marble factories, tiles' shops, marble factories, tailor and general stores, dairy shops would remain open from 6am to 9pm.

Similarly, veterinary hospital, e-commerce, software developing, offices of welfare organizations, minerals plants, book shop, photocopy shops, carpenters, painters, mason, labour, electrical stores, shuttering stores, bakers, banks, hardware shops, laboratories, private hospitals, media industry would remain open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The government has advised all to take special care of social distancing at work places and make the masks and use of sanitizer mandatory during working hours.

The provincial government has also already exempted 19 allied industries of the construction sector of the lockdown and the owners and managers of such industrial units have been directed for strict adherence to the 'Guidelines for Operation of Industrial Units' issued by the Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department.

Meanwhile, some shopkeepers at busy bazaars like historic Kissa Khwani, Pepal Mandi, Karimpura, Shaheen Bazaar and others areas opened their shops, but were later closed after negotiations of the Commissioner Peshawar with the trading community.

During meeting, the trading community proposed the relaxation of lockdown for some businesses barbers, auto-parts, tailoring and other shops and assured that they would follow the standing operating procedures (SOPs) as announced by the provincial government.