Karachi:
The Sindh government has notified a list of businesses which have been allowed
to resume their operations during the going lockdown period, a news source
reported. To this effect, the federal government recently announced to extend
the lockdown period till April 30.
According to the provincial government, various public/private sectors have been asked to resume their business activity from April 15 onwards. Moreover, the provincial executive has notified working hours (from 8am to 5pm) for both private individuals and public office holders.
Businesses to remain open in Sindh during lockdown:
As per the announcement,
sectors/businesses/individuals allowed to resume their operations include:
Food related businesses: Such as fish, meat, dairy shops, bakeries, tandoors and manufacturers of food item, in addition to their related transport services
Agriculture sector: All businesses related to the agriculture sector and subsidiaries falling under this category
Health sector: Laboratories, pharmacies, hospitals, and health service providers
Power sector: All outlets and public offices engaged with electricity, oil, LPG, solar and wind power generation tasks, as well as businesses providing services related to petrol and oil lubricants
Municipal services: All essential municipal service providers such as water supply and waste management
Transport: Transporters engaged in intra-city and intra-province movement of goods
NGOs: All registered welfare organisations involved in distribution of rations
Public offices: Call Centres, customer support centres, banks, private and public telecom institutes
Law enforcement: All law enforcement agencies, defence service
Custom operations: Port operations and customs
SECP: SECP-related activities and Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) with main focus on working from home
Others: Technical staff, media persons on duty, postal and courier service providers
Businesses/activities which
will remain shut in Sindh during lockdown
The Sindh
government has issued clear guidance with regard to setups, offices, facilities,
areas and business that will remain completely shut till April 30. These
establishments include:
Education sector: Schools, medical colleges, public and private colleges, technical and vocational institutes, private and public universities, madaris, coaching centres
Public places: Streets, roads, parks
Commercial facilities: All shopping malls, marriage halls, hotels, event centres, cinemas, auditoriums, beaches, farmhouses, showrooms, commercial markets, boutiques, outlets featuring luxury items and beauty parlours, all markets/shops selling non-essential items, restaurants (including their take away services while home delivery service will continue)
Religious places: Religious gatherings of the public – including mass gatherings in shrines and other places of worship
Public transport services: All transport facilities; intercity and intra-city
