COVID-19: Residents clash with Karachi police for enforcing Friday prayers restrictions

Clashes broke out in Pakistan's Karachi after residents attacked baton-wielding police personnel deployed to enforce new curbs on gatherings including Friday prayers to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Seven people including a prayer leader were arrested in Karachi on charges of violating lockdown measures and manhandling policemen. They were booked under terror charges along with other sections.

According to Dawn, people attacked and pelted stones on personnel in the Liaquatabad area of Karachi and police personnel resorted to lathi-charge on lockdown violators and an officer even fired in the air to disperse the crowd.

Authorities here have imposed stricter measures under the garb of law, including fines and imprisonment for people failing to comply with the government's directives, without any reasonable excuse, to control the coronavirus spread.

The coronavirus cases in Pakistan have reached 2637 with 40 deaths so far due to the coronavirus in the country.

Punjab on Friday became the first province to report 1,000 cases of coronavirus, with 57 fresh cases emerging in 24 hours.

While Sindh has reported 783 coronavirus positive cases until today.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said that there has been an 87 per cent rise in coronavirus cases across the province in the last 17-18 days.

"This is alarming and more focused and collective efforts are needed to control the spread of the pandemic," he added.

Despite a continuous surge in coronavirus cases, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated that the government cannot 'lock up 220 million people' through a harsh curfew to control the spread of COVID-19.

In a briefing to journalists, Prime Minister Khan said the country has to find a balance between "corona and hunger," reported Dawn.