LAHORE, JULY 29 (DNA) – Tailors, dry cleaners and laundry shops in Punjab have been exempted from the smart lockdown imposed by the government earlier this week.

According to a notification issued by the government, the shops will be allowed to remain open from 6am till midnight on Eidul Azha.

Currency exchange companies and fertilizers companies have also been granted permission to remain open. “On Eid, people living abroad usually send money to their relatives,” said Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Muhammad Usman.

Fertilizer companies, on the other hand, were given permission as farmers might need pesticides for an emergency in the fields. “All the businesses allowed to remain open will be strictly obliged to follow the government’s SOPs,” Usman said.

The government decided to impose a smart lockdown in the province as Eidul Azha approaches. All markets will be closed from before Eid till August 2. =DNA

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