–Export-related industries, chemical and cement plants, software houses, mines, paper packaging to resume operations
–PM says govt will issue ordinances to provide stimulus package to construction industry, take stringent action against hoarders
–Six airports to be reopened by April 20 to bring back 6,000 stranded Pakistanis
–Federal govt wants to allow daily wagers like electricians, plumbers and others to resume their routine work
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced that the lockdown will be extended for further two weeks, with some of the restrictions lifted to facilitate the low-risk industries.
Schools, cinemas and other places where the public can gather will remain closed, said the PM, as the total infections in Pakistan surged to 5,800 amid 100 deaths. Punjab accounts for the most COVID-19 infections, reporting 2,856 cases as of Tuesday evening. Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have so far reached 1,518, 248, and 800 cases, respectively. Islamabad has 131 cases, Gilgit-Baltistan has 233 cases whereas Azad Kashmir has 43 cases so far.
Speaking of the government’s response to the virus so far, the premier said: “Owing to the restrictions we imposed, the way the virus should have spread, it did not. It only spread to an extent of 30% when compared to our projections.”
PM Imran said the projections were based on trends observed worldwide. “190 people should have died so far. We have less than half the number of deaths from the projected number,” he said.
The prime minister warned that we should still all be mindful that “this virus can spread rapidly at any time”.
“We need to continue to exercise caution,” he said, adding that “every move we make carries risks”. “On one hand we have corona and on the other we have hunger,” he lamented.
Reiterating the need for people to continue to exercise self-discipline, the premier said that even though things do not seem as dismal in the country right now and that “if the curve spikes up, our current health system will not be able to meet the challenge”.
Imran announced that the National Coordination Committee decided to start operations of the construction industry from Wednesday.
“75% of labourers in Pakistan are not registered with any government body due to which it is very difficult for the government to support them. For this reason, we are opening the construction industry to help the weaker segment of our society,” he explained.
He added that a majority had agreed to open select industries but provinces that think it would be too soon to lift restrictions, can decide to continue with the lockdown.
GOVT TO ISSUES ORDINANCES:
The PM further said that the government would issue a presidential ordinance on Wednesday to provide unprecedented stimulus package to the construction industry. “We are also going to issue an ordinance to take stringent actions against smuggling and hoarding of goods,” he said while terming the smuggling and hoarding as two major challenges being faced by the country.
“We are taking steps to control the spread of coronavirus… I am aware of the difficulties faced by people due to lockdown,” said the premier, adding that, “I appreciate the people for braving these difficulties and adopt the government’s lockdown measures”.
Speaking about the Ehsaas Emergency initiative, the PM said: “From what I’ve been told, an amount of around Rs45bn has been distributed among 2.8 million families so far”.
On overseas Pakistanis, he said: “We fear that if the stranded Pakistanis are brought back home we might not be able to deal with the situation if they have contracted coronavirus with the limited resources at our disposal.”
The premier said the government would join hands with Ulema to come up with a national strategy for Ramzan to ensure that citizens can offer their religious obligations within the guidelines for COVID-19.
Asad Umar took over the briefing to speak of the National Coordination Committee which had convened earlier in the day to decide on the matter of whether or not to extend the lockdown. He rejected the impression that “there is no coordination” among members of the committee.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Zafar Mirza, PM’s aide on health, said the number of coronavirus cases is high in Sindh in contrast to Punjab despite the fact that the former had taken aggressive measures to contain the virus.
“We are opening the businesses in line with the world’s best practices,” he maintained.
Swift decisions taken by the federal government have slowed down the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan, he said.
Dr Mirza said SOPs will be applied to all the industries that the government has decided to open and strict adherence is necessary to ensure that the spread of COVD-19 is prevented.
Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar outlined the various industries that will be opened across the country. These include: chemicals manufacturing plants; e-commerce exports; software development; paper packaging; cement plants; fertilizers; mines, glass manufacturing units and export-related industries.
“The trade of instrument manufacturers and some other industries will also be reopened in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs). Veterinary hospitals and book shops will be reopened as well.”
“However, provinces have not shown agreement on some points as the federal government wants to allow daily wagers like electricians, plumbers and others to resume their routine work. Punjab government has shown support to recommendation placed by the federal government,” he said.
PM’s Special Assistant on National Security Moeed Yusuf said six airports will be reopened by April 20 “so we can bring back 6,000 stranded Pakistanis back home”.
