Reports indicate that there was a clash between Muslims in Pakistan and the police outside a mosque as the officers attempted to enforce a new restriction on gatherings to prevent Friday prayers and contain Coronavirus.
The clash took place outside a mosque in Karachi on Friday, where a viral video showed dozens of people chasing two police vehicles and pelting them with stones, while an officer fired into the air to disperse the crowd.
This incident follows warnings from health experts that an epidemic in South Asia could overwhelm public health systems in the region.
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India have been struggling to persuade conservative religious groups to maintain social distancing in order to halt the spread of coronavirus.
On Friday, the Government in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh enforced a lockdown for three hours beginning at noon, but this news was met with resistance from the Muslim community as they refused to obey the restriction.
Pakistan currently has 2,708 cases of coronavirus infections with 41 deaths from the deadly disease.
Watch the video below.