–NSC moot decides to keep all educational institutes closed till April 5, seal western borders for two weeks
–Only three airports to operate international flights; wedding halls, cinemas and public gatherings restricted for two weeks
–Govt to request SC, HCs not to schedule cases of civil nature for three weeks
ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday announced several steps to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, including shutting down educational institutes till April 5, closing the border with Iran and Afghanistan, and cancelling the Pakistan Day parade held annually on March 23.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, was attended by the provincial chief ministers and the civilian and military leadership.
The huddle decided that all educational institutions in the country will be closed till April 5, while Pakistan’s border entry points with Afghanistan and Iran will be closed for two weeks.
The NSC decisions come amid confirmation of the 28th case of coronavirus in Pakistan.
In a series of tweets, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood said that all schools and universities, public and private, vocational institutions and seminaries will remain closed till April 5. He said that the situation regarding the closure of all educational institutions in the country would be reviewed by the Ministry of Education on March 27, and further decisions will be taken after that.
Speaking about the ongoing examinations of 9th grade in Punjab, the minister said that respective schools and boards shall ensure that arrangements are made for the exams to be taken as per schedule.
According to an order issued by the NSC, the border closure would come into effect on March 16 “in the best interest of all three brotherly countries”.
It was decided during the meeting that only three airports in the country — Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore — will be allowed to operate international flights in limited numbers, while other airports will only allow domestic flights.
The pilgrims who have returned to the country from Iran will be screened again, and will be placed under quarantine if they test positive for the virus.
Officials said foreign missions in Pakistan and Pakistan’s missions abroad have been directed not to host any ceremonies or functions. Similarly, large public gatherings will be discouraged.
The NSC decided to give the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) the lead role in dealing with the coronavirus threat, adding that the authority will coordinate with the provincial governments to streamline the efforts. A system for coordination between the federal and provincial governments will also be established.
The meeting also decided to close the Kartarpur Corridor for Pakistanis, however Indian pilgrims will be allowed to continue visiting the Sikh holy site.
The NSC also decided to request the chief justice of the Supreme Court and chief justices of the provincial high courts to instruct all courts not to schedule cases of civil nature for three weeks. They would also be requested to direct judicial magistrates and session court judges to visit the concerned jails for three weeks to process remand and bail cases. No visitors will be allowed to visit prisoners in jails for three weeks, the meeting decided.
Shortly after the meeting, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the federal and provincial governments were continuously monitoring the developments related to the novel coronavirus. “People should not worry. Thanks to God, the coronavirus pandemic is under control in Pakistan,” Qureshi said, adding that the border needs to be closed for the next 15 days.
“The days of the Raiwind gathering have been reduced and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has informed us that arrangements have been made in Dera Ghazi Khan. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah apprised us of the measures taken in the province,” the foreign minister explained, adding that China had very effectively fought the pandemic.
“We took proactive measures and that is why not many people were affected by the pandemic,” he said, adding that cinema houses, movie theatres, marriage halls, and public gatherings should be closed down.
The meeting of the NSC was attended by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Hafeez Shaikh, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak among others.
Meanwhile, hours after the Sindh Health Department confirmed the 22nd case of coronavirus, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza announced that 28 cases of the COVID-19 were confirmed in the country.
Earlier, the Sindh Health Department said that a 52-year-old patient, who had recently travelled to Karachi from Islamabad, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. The department also said that they were actively tracing the contacts of the patient for screening. Two patients had recovered in Sindh whereas the remaining were said to be in stable condition. At least 251 were been tested in Sindh, 110 in Punjab, 30 in KP, 18 in Balochistan, nine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 32 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
On Thursday night, the Sindh government had announced that it was shutting down schools, colleges and universities across the province till May 31 to contain the spread of the virus. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had also called on the federal government to close the borders and enact stricter controls at ports of entry, especially the Karachi airport.
PILGRIMS SET TO LEAVE TAFTAN:
Meanwhile, around 2,000 pilgrims are set to leave the quarantine tent city in Taftan after completing the mandatory 14-day isolation period at the Pakistan House on Friday.
Reportedly, pilgrims belonging to Balochistan will arrive in Quetta while others will leave for their respective provinces.
At least 50 buses will be escorted by the levies and Frontier Corps personnel to the provincial capital from the Pakistan-Iran border crossing.
By March 11, the number of quarantined pilgrims in Taftan rose to 4,000 – out of which 2,000 belong to Sindh. The quarantined individuals were placed in a tent city set up by the Balochistan government for Pakistani nationals entering the country from Iran.
Pakistan shut its borders with Iran and Afghanistan last week amid virus outbreak fears. A mobile lab was deployed to test suspected patients for the COVID-19 virus.
