FIR registered against KP health minister for violating COVID SOPs

A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra under Sections 6 to 17 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Act 2020 for violating COVID-19 protocols, Dawn News has reported.

FIR lodged against KP Health Minister Taimoor Jhagra and manager of the restaurant for organizing iftar where covid SOPs were violated, said handout issued from @DCPeshawar office. It stated the restaurant owner asked the minister not to arrange it gathering but in a vain. pic.twitter.com/hpzUlJ2Ez1

— Izharullah (@Izhar2u) April 26, 2021

As per details, Minister Jhagra attended an iftar party at a local restaurant in Peshawar, where dine-in at restaurants has been banned by authorities amid a sharp surge in COVID cases in the province. In addition to that, no COVID-related SOPs were followed at the gathering.

The owner and manager have also been booked for hosting the aftar party on the premises.

This is KP health minister ⁦@Jhagra⁩ while hosting aftaar dinner today in local restaurant in Peshawar— He himself violating his own made SOPs. ⁦@ayeshaijazkhan⁩ ⁦@Arshad_Afridi⁩ ⁦@Asad_Umar⁩ ⁦@Xadeejournalist⁩ ⁦@AsadAToor⁩ pic.twitter.com/nIEC8vUAST

— Shahid Kamal (@SkamalUOP) April 26, 2021

Peshawar Assistant Commissioner Ehteshamul Haq while talking to Dawn said that the administration took timely action after pictures of the iftar were shared on social media.

“There will not be any kind of compromise on coronavirus SOPs. If SOPs are violated, the law will come into action,” added the official.

Read more –The deadly COVID-19 third wave

The restaurant was also sealed after the pictures of the iftar party went viral on social media.

On April 19, the overall tally of Covid-19 cases in KP crossed the 100,000 mark. Yesterday, KP Health Minister Taimur Jhagra held a tightly-packed iftar in Peshawar. Was he celebrating the milestone?
No police or military men enforcing SOPs here, of course. pic.twitter.com/2qSnzPwS3j

— Nadeem Farooq Paracha (@NadeemfParacha) April 27, 2021

The development comes as Pakistan continues to struggle in its war against COVID-19. Over 5,000 new cases with at least 145 death were reported in the past 24 hours alone. The infections tally stands past 0.8 million.