Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department spokesman Qaiser Asif, confirms that renowned designer Maria B’s Cook was under quarantine at the Vehari DHQ, said the patient’s contacts were being traced and would also be tested. On Tuesday, Lahore police had registered FIR against Maria B’s husband, Tahir Saeed, for sending their cook to his village after finding out he is positive for corona virus, without informing the authorities.
FIR was registered at Nishtar Colony Station under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as Article 144 and 143 of the Police Order, 2002.
According to the FIR, which does not name Maria B, despite knowing that the employee had contracted the virus, Saeed neither informed the authorities nor took him to a hospital for treatment. Instead, he sent the cook to his native village in a bus.
Maria B ‘s video was circulating on social media where she is appealing PM and being sad over the Police raid. Then another video was uploaded by her with her husband, who calls the whole incident, “pure panic” and “abuse”
The Lahore police spokesperson in a statement dismissed the criticism and said that they had taken “timely action and sent a message to other violators”. According to him, Maria B’s husband, Tahir Saeed, had sent his servant packing, despite knowing that the employee’s laboratory test for the coronavirus was positive.
In present emergency situation, reporting of such incidents to health department is compulsory,” the statement read, adding that the patient had met numerous people during his visit to his native village, Karam Pur, in tehsil Mailsi, district Vehari. According to Police this is criminal negligence which has made “almost hundreds of innocent people vulnerable to the coronavirus”.
The statement also said that Saeed has been released on Bail.
