The Kabul municipality on Wednesday announced the closure of a restaurant that was still operating in the city despite the restrictions put in place by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Public Health to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, residents of First street of Taimani, PD 10, in Kabul city complained about the 7 Stars restaurant being open and serving customers despite the restrictions.

The residents living near the restaurant stated that the female owner, Shakila Ibrahim, claimed that she works with First Lady Rula Ghani, however these allegations were rejected by the First Lady’s Office. According to a statement from the office, the owner will be prosecuted based on the law.

“We are following a certain set of principles. Based on these principles, gatherings and crowds must not be allowed, so we are implementing the same rule in every area,” said Daud Sultanzoi, the mayor of Kabul.

The Ministry of Interior meanwhile said that the female owner of the restaurant has been under legal investigation and the ministry will also address the complaints lodged by the residents against the restaurant in the area.

“The police implement the law and order on all citizens in the society equally regardless of someone’s gender, social and political reputation. The restaurant against which the residents' complaints were closed today by the Ministry of Interior, and the owner is now under legal investigation,” said Marwa Amini, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior.

On Tuesday, Fariba Sadat, a TOLOnews reporter who was in the area to investigate the neighbors' complaints, said that she was insulted by the owner of the restaurant, and her camera was broken, too.

“No one has the right to cross the law or violate someone’s rights. Today we have thousands of citizens who abide by the law even though they don’t have bread to eat,” said Najibullah Sharifi, the CEO of the Journalists’ Safety Committee.

“Violence against journalists is not acceptable in any circumstance, what happened yesterday is a serious issue,” said Halima Sadaf Karimi, MP.

This comes after the Afghan government issued restrictions on restaurants and hotels in some cities including Kabul city in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.