Smart lockdown imposed in KP city amid rising mpox cases

Authorities in Khyber district have enforced a 12-day smart lockdown in the Ghundi Pump House area of Jamrud after confirming the province's first locally transmitted case of monkeypox (mpox).

The decision, announced by Deputy Commissioner Khyber Capt (retd) Bilal Shahid Rao, aims to prevent further spread of the virus. Entry and exit points to the affected area have been sealed, with only essential services — including pharmacies, grocery shops, tandoors, and emergency services — allowed to operate under strict safety protocols.

The lockdown was initiated following the confirmation of the virus in a resident of Mohalla Pump House. Health officials immediately began containment efforts to curb the risk of transmission.

Strict enforcement measures have been put in place, and violators will face legal action, the Deputy Commissioner's Office confirmed via its Media Cell. The Assistant Commissioner of Jamrud and local police have been tasked with implementing the orders.

This is the ninth mpox case reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). The previous case was detected last month at Peshawar Airport, where a 31-year-old male traveler bound for Dubai tested positive. He had arrived in Pakistan on April 16 and was shifted to an isolation ward after confirmation of the virus.

Authorities also revisited a March case involving a woman in Dogra, Khyber district, which was initially suspected to be the province’s first local transmission. However, it was later determined she contracted the virus from her husband, who had recently returned from abroad and later tested positive.