Despite coronavirus continuing to spread across the country, the Supreme Court (SC), which seems to be at odds with the government over the latter’s handling of the pandemic, has ordered the reopening of shopping malls across the country.
According to the details, a five-member larger bench of the apex court was hearing a suo motu case regarding measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The bench was headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed while Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed were also on the bench.
During the hearing today, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed remarked that if the shops are shut down then shopkeepers will ‘die of hunger rather than the coronavirus’.
CJP Ahmed said that in Karachi, except for five big malls every market has resumed operations.
Upon which, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani said that a few markets were sealed for not following the Standard Operating Procedures laid out by the government.
“The sealed markets should be opened and instead of intimidating them (shop owners) make them understand (the situation and SOPs),” remarked the top judge.
The CJP noted that the SOPs will be ‘better implemented’ at the big shopping malls.
The apex court also ordered that on the weekends, all the small markets should remain open to public.
