KARACHI: A court has acquitted three people on Saturday who were arrested by police for not receiving COVID-19 vaccine shots.
The police produced three citizens in the court of Judicial Magistrate South over violation of criminal procedure code Section-63 over breach of coronavirus SOPs. However, the magistrate dismissed the case and ordered to release the accused.
A day earlier, Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi Imran Yaqoob Minhas stopped policemen from arresting unvaccinated citizens. The police chief said that he came to know that the policemen were arresting unvaccinated citizens.
He directed department officials not to arrest unvaccinated citizens on roads. He said the orders were issued for restaurants, hotels, wedding halls and private gatherings as people were restricted to enter them without receiving COVID-19 vaccination.
He also directed policemen to take action against the unvaccinated people in the presence of an assistant commissioner. He said that policemen were not deputed to spread fear in public but to enforce the COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Police had expedited efforts and had arrested more than 40 people in Karachi for not receiving COVID-19 jabs or carrying vaccination certificates. The cases were registered under the Sindh Infectious Diseases Act 2014.
Police officials said the Sindh home department’s letter is not clear about the operations. The letter has made it mandatory for the staff of public dealing companies to be vaccinated against coronavirus. It was also mandatory for staff working in transport and industries sectors and markets to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
The Sindh home department had written letters to the inspector-general of police, Rangers director-general and divisional commissioners calling for the registration of cases and imposition of fines against those who do not comply with coronavirus standard operating procedures.
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) to expedite vaccination in the country.
The notification by the Home Department said travellers on motorways would require to get vaccinated by September 20. It further said buses and other equipment of transport companies would be seized over the presence of unvaccinated staff.
