Starting Tuesday, several areas in Pakistan’s major cities have begun smart lockdowns following the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) identification of 20 cities as coronavirus hotspots nationwide.

Portions of Islamabad and Peshawar have been sealed, while large parts of Lahore are scheduled to go into smart lockdown by midnight.

Many areas have been flagged as hotspots, including locations in Swat such as Bahrain, Matta, Babuzai, Kabal, Barikot, Khariri, Gwalerai, and Odigram. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department also identified UC Qambar, Saeedoshareef, Breekot Gharbi, Kozabandi, and Madin as affected areas.

In Peshawar, four zones—Ashrafi Colony, Channa Road, Danishabad, and Hayatabad—were declared hotspots and sealed with access routes blocked. Police have been deployed in these locations, ensuring that grocery and medical stores remain operational for residents.

According to an NCOC statement on Monday, “Twenty cities across Pakistan have shown a probable increase in infection rates, necessitating restrictive containment measures.”

In Islamabad, G-9/2 and G-9/3 have been sealed due to over 300 cases, with areas including I-8, I-10, Ghauri Town, Bharakhau, G-6, and G-7 under close monitoring.

The hotspot cities listed by the NCOC include Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Swat, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Sialkot, Gujarat, Ghotki, Larkana, Khairpur, DG Khan, Malakand, and Mardan.

The NCOC has also shared a Test-Trace-Quarantine (TTQ) strategy aimed at targeted, resource-efficient smart lockdowns in these hotspots.

Lahore Lockdowns Enforced by Punjab Government

Punjab’s Health Minister Yasmin Rashid announced a full lockdown on selected Lahore localities starting midnight Tuesday, citing rising COVID-19 cases.

Areas affected include Shahdra, Shad Bagh, Mazang, Harbanspura, Old Lahore, Nishtar Ground, Cantt, parts of Gulberg, and several societies in Iqbal Town.

Food outlets and pharmacies will remain open, while the lockdown is planned to continue for at least two weeks before authorities reassess.

Hotspots in Karachi

A letter from Deputy Commissioner Karachi West, cited by District Health Officer Dr. Shafique Ahmed, identified 16 union councils in Karachi West for lockdown imposition. These include parts of Gadao, Baldia, Kemari, SITE, and Orangi.

Key areas listed are UC-5 Songal (Gulshan Maymar, Khuda Ki Basti), UC-6 Maymarabad (Surjani Sectors), Kemari’s UCs including Bhutta Village, Sultanabad, and Kemari Town, Baldia’s multiple UCs including Islama Nagar, Naiabadi, Saeedabad, Muslim Mujahid, and others.

In SITE, the entirety of UC-4 Metroville and sectors of UC-6 Frontier Colony are hotspots. UC-7 Banaras and surrounding colonies also fall under containment.

Orangi’s UC-6 Ghaziabad, UC-11 Data Nagar, and UC-12 Mujahid Colony areas have been designated as hotspots as well.