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'Celebrate with simplicity': Imran Khan's Eid message urge caution over COVID-19 spread

'Celebrate with simplicity': Imran Khan's Eid message urge caution over COVID-19 spread

Imran Khan gives control to army.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his countrymen on Friday to celebrate upcoming Eid with "simplicity" and avoid the lapses that were made in the last Eid, which overwhelmed the hospitals.

"Eid ul Azha must be celebrated with simplicity so as not to repeat what happened last Eid when SOPs (standard operating procedures) were ignored & our hospitals were choked", Khan tweeted.

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He also added he was ordering the "stict" implementation of the guidelines.

In May, during the last Eid holiday in Pakistan, several people violated lockdown measures and social distancing guidelines, which triggered a surge in coronavirus cases.

The increase made the World Health Organization (WHO) ask the Pakistan administration to impose new lockdowns.

The Eid festival of animal sacrifice will begin in July end and carry on for many days.

Officials expect markets to be flooded with customers, who will be looking for sheeps, goats and other animals for slaughter.

According to the official figures, nearly 260,000 people in Pakistan have tested positive for coronavirus, including over 5,470 deaths.

The rate of COVID-19 infection in the country has slowed down significantly, but medical experts fear, a decline in cases could be due to a decrease in testing.

Khan attributed the slow of the virus spread to "smart" lockdowns imposed to seal off hotspots.

The cricketer-turned-politician is critcised for not implementing a full lockdown to control the coronavirus ourbreak as he said doing such would adversely affect the country.