‘Administration should announce measures put in place for testing, quarantining Amarnath Yatris’
Nasir Azam
Srinagar, July 20 (KNO): Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam expressed his serious concern over the “silent arrival” of at least 10,000 non-local labourers in Kashmir and asked the government to come clear where these people are tested for COVID-19 and quarantined for the same.
He also asked the government to come clean about the testing and quarantine facilities set up for the Amarnath Pilgrims, who are set to arrive in Kashmir today as annual pilgrimage commences tomorrow.
“This is quite strange that at least 10,000 non-local work force has arrived silently in Kashmir in times of pandemic crisis. They are arriving at a time when COVID-19 is at its peak and cases are showing a huge spike. When Srinagar is under tight lockdown so are other district headquarters, what was the need to bring in outside workforce that too in a huge number when pandemic is at its peak,” Grand Mufti told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)
Government must clarify where these non-locals are tested for Covid and if anyone is positive where they are quarantined, Mufti Nasir asked. “Majority of these non-local laborers mingle with the common people of Kashmir and they can pose a huge risk not just for themselves, for the entire Kashmiri population as they spread to various parts of the Valley,” he said.
The Grand Mufti also asked the government to name the places where Amarnath Yatris would be quarantined and tested for Covid-19. “Now that the government has decided to go ahead with the pilgrimage, there seems to be no testing facility for the pilgrims and also the quarantine centres for them,” he told KNO
“The Yatris too spread in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and also to Anantnag district of South Kashmir. Besides, they stay in Srinagar also. Government hasn’t so far stated anything about the facilities put in place for testing the Yatris and quarantining them.”—(KNO)
