Daily Times

A local court in Karachi on Saturday acquitted three persons arrested by the police for not receiving COVID-19 vaccine shots.

The police earlier produced three arrested citizens in the court of Judicial Magistrate-South over violation of criminal procedure code section-63 over breach of coronavirus SOPs.

The magistrate dismissed the case and ordered release of the accused.

Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi Imran Yaqoob Minhas yesterday stopped policemen from arresting unvaccinated citizens.

After the cops arrested 38 citizens in Karachi for not receiving COVID-19 jabs nor carrying vaccination certificates, Karachi police chief directed department officials not to arrest the unvaccinated citizens on roads.

The police chief said that he came to know that the policemen were arresting unvaccinated citizens.

“The orders had been issued for restaurants, hotels, wedding halls and private gatherings as people were restricted to enter the places without receiving COVID-19 vaccination,” he said in a statement.

He also directed the cops to take action against the unvaccinated people along with the magistrate.

He clarified that policemen were not deputed to spread fear in public but to enforce the COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

On September 19, the Sindh government had decided to arrest unvaccinated people in the province after fresh directives issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) for expediting COVID vaccination in the country.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh Home Department in the light of fresh directives issued by the NCOC, travellers on motorways would require to get vaccinated by September 20.