The inspector-general of Sindh police has instructed his force not to treat people who violate section 144 as criminals during the lockdown in the province.
On March 23, the Sindh government imposed a lockdown due to the rise in the number of known coronavirus cases. The police swung into action and arrested 472 people for violating the rule. At least 407 known cases of coronavirus have been reported in Sindh alone and one man has died in Karachi.
In a message to his workforce, Sindh IG Mushtaq Mahar said that unfortunately the force is arresting those who are already troubled by the circumstances. We need to be patient and sympathetic towards such people, he added.
“In this new situation, we need to do policing in a new way,” the written instructions said. He added that those violating the lockdown should not be treated as traditional lawbreakers. The IG instructed officials and personnel to identify low-income people and help them. “In this difficult time, instead of arresting people, the police should make the people aware of the calamity and let them go after issuing a warning.”
