FIR booked: A first information report(FIR) has been launched against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra for violating various COVID-19 SOPs after hosting an iftar party at a restaurant. The FIR has also been booked against the restaurant owner by the district administration for hosting an event where plenty of guests were present.
The Health Minister attended the iftar party in his constituency despite the strict government’s restrictions in the province to curb the spread of the virus. The restaurant has also been sealed.
Pictures of the event show SOP violations: Peshawar’s Assistant Commissioner has said that swift action was taken as soon as pictures of the event popped up on social media. Most of the attendees seen in the pictures were not wearing masks or wearing them incorrectly, including the Health Minister. The Assistant Commissioner said that no compromise would be made on the law, whoever violates COVID-19 SOPs will be charged.
Irony: The Health Minister violating COVID-19 is ironic enough, but this instance took place on a day when the Interior Ministry issued a notification to deploy the Pakistan Army to enforce COVID-19 SOPs around the country. A major chunk of the Peshawar’s Hayatabad area was also put under strict lockdown on the same day.