ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday held consultation with the provincial governments on issues related to the revival of construction activities, resumption of domestic travelling, enhancing testing capacity and overall media strategy to mobilise the masses for preventing the contagion’s spread during the holy month of Ramzan.
The NCOC meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and attended by Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar, Federal Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam, SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on COVID-19 Dr Faisal Sultan, Federal Minister for Energy and Power Omar Ayub Khan, Federal Minister for Interior Brig (r) Ijaz Shah, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal, and NCOC Chief Coordinator Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Additional Chief Secretary Shehzad Bangash, Punjab Chief Secretary Major (r) Azam Suleman Khan, Sindh Chief Secretary Imtiaz Ali Shah, Balochistan Chief Secretary Captain (r) Fazeel Asghar, and representatives of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government joined the meeting through video-link.
Speaking on the occasion, the planning minister said it had been decided through the NCOC forum to have uniformity in lifting restrictions from the construction industry. The associated industries in other provinces were facing unfair competition from the KP industry, which had managed sufficient supplies so the latter should halt its units, he added.
“The construction industry will be revived under a unanimous policy decision in the second phase as now is the first phase of lifting the restrictions,” he added.
Dr Firdous said that her ministry had prepared strategic and technical messages for public awareness to contain COVID-19. Pakistan Television (PTV), Radio Pakistan and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) would be the official media portals for disseminating public information messages on COVID-19 during Ramzan, she added.
She said that in a meeting with Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz the procedure for live telecast of Taraweeh prayer had been decided. The prayer would be broadcast on PTV.
Umar suggested that public awareness messages of political leaders, including the prime minister, leader of the opposition and others should be recorded and telecast during Ramzan to educate the masses for observing safety guidelines.
The industries minister, while briefing the meeting, said that industries related to the construction, including sanitaryware, pipes and aluminum had been opened in KP. In Sindh, it was decided that industries having labour in its premises would initiate their operations after complying with the SOPs, however, the remaining provinces raised reservations on the process due to the absence of a level playing field in the prevailing scenario, he added.
“It has been decided to launch the second phase of easing lockdown after April 15 or at the end of the month whereas this is the first phase,” he told the meeting.
The industries minister supported the decision made by the planning minister and urged the KP authorities to accept it.
The KP additional chief secretary responded that only two industries related to the construction sector were allowed to carry out their operations.
The Punjab chief secretary said the authorities in Punjab were very clear on reviving the industries linked with the construction sector and allowed only the units decided at the forum. “If any further relaxation is being made then it will lead to commencement of all the market operations across the province and it will increase the risk of the corona outbreak,” he added.
The Sindh chief secretary informed the meeting that a committee was formed to allow the construction industry to resume its operations after following SOPs.
Ghulam Sarwar briefed the meeting on the issue of resumption of domestic travel. He said that the inbound and outbound air traffic was going on whereas pressure was being built up to open domestic flights as well.
He suggested that limited flights should be allowed at domestic level as partial domestic flights for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) were operational and chartered flights were also going on. “Private local airlines should be allowed along with the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate on alternate days whereas SOPs for international and domestic flights in GB are already in place and both should be enforced separately,” he said.
The railways minister said that the Pakistan Railways had carried around 285,000 passengers from Karachi during the implementation of lockdown in Sindh.
