LAHORE: Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) Punjab on Monday directed to expedite action against professional beggars across the province especially in Lahore amid coronavirus pandemic. According to a letter written to Inspector General of Police (IG) Punjab and commissioner Lahore, the CPWB Chairperson Sara Ahmad asked them to launch a coordinated action against beggars. She said that despite lockdown in place, the professional beggars that also included children have come out in large numbers on the streets. “Their presence on the roads could hamper the efforts from the provincial authorities to contain the spread of coronavirus,” she said while ordering a strict action against them. It is pertinent to mention here that the government of Punjab on Monday announced the extension of its novel coronavirus related ongoing lockdown by seven more days. Ministry for Interior, Punjab issued a notification on the matter formalising the decisions. According to the notification the coronavirus triggered lockdown will now persist till 5pm, April 14. Before the extension, provincial lockdown was supposed to conclude tomorrow, April 7. Sunday, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said he cannot make any prediction regarding the end or continuation of the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown across the country.
