The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered on Monday that shopping malls and markets in the country should remain open seven days a week.
The market closure was implemented as part of the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
The five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court was hearing a suo moto case regarding measures taken against the virus outbreak.
Today, the court also ordered the reopening of shopping malls across the country.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed remarked that if the shops are shut down then shopkeepers will ‘die of hunger rather than the coronavirus’.
He said that in Karachi, except for five big malls every market has resumed operations.
Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani explained 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 Attorney General of Pakistan also presented arguments via video link from Karachi registry during today’s hearing, while Additional Attorney General appeared before the court.
The CJP also inquired about the reason behind closing down markets on weekends, saying that the court will issue a written order that the small markets should remain open on Saturday and Sunday.
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.
Reacting to the SC order allowing markets and shopping malls to open seven days a week, Information Minister Shibli Faraz said today’s verdict is evidence that the federal government’s approach was in the right direction from day one.
Faraz said the needy and poor people were the centre of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s strategy and he tried to make sure that people don’t die of hunger during the coronavirus battle.
He urged the opposition to refrain from politicking. “The Supreme Court’s decision is enough to show that the Centre’s policies were right,” the information minister said.
The prime minister has emphasised that the health sector needs to be given due importance, he said.
Emphasising upon the need to follow the safety guidelines, Faraz said the virus has not ended and we are not sure when will it end. “We appeal to the public, that if the shops have reopened and trains services have resumed, they should show responsibility.”
