Denial Of Acting Upon SOPs By Shoppers In AJK Appeared

MIRPUR [AJK] (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2021 ) :Although the pandemic's spike was found at sky high in various AJK districts since past many weeks, but despite of this,it appeared that a thumping majority of the masses was found at public places without wearing a mask during the Eid shopping.

A huge crowd has been found in bazaars for shopping purpose particularly,since last sunday last as only a week time was left in arrival of the Holy festival of Eid ul Fitr, scheduled to be celebrated on May 13 across the country and AJK subject to sighting of the Shawal moon.

At the meantime, the local law enforcement authorities were engaged in getting the masses strictly observed the SOPs during the Eid shopping to discourage the prevailing continual threat of spread of the pandemic.

As the countdown to Eid ul Fitr was getting closer to its conclusion, markets across Azad Jammu Kashmir, including the densely-populated lake Mirpur district wore a festive look since Sunday last as people came out in large number at the last leg of their Eid shopping.

However, the same markets gave deserted look on Friday and Saturday last following the two weeks smart lockdown � set for every Friday and Saturday by AJK Government to avert threat of the Novel coronavirus.

On normal days, the residents thronged to the markets in major cities including the State's metropolis Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimbher, Rawalakot, Palandri, Bagh to buy groceries, clothes, shoes and edibles.

This correspondent visited local markets on Friday in Mirpur, the ancestral city of over a million of UK-based Kashmiri expatriates,the business hub Shaheed Chowk, F/1 and Allama Iqbal Road in the city witnessed a heavy rush of shoppers, leading to traffic chaos on all major routes.

Traffic wardens had a tough time managing the traffic particularly since the weekly holiday.