PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government allowed opening of cattle markets, milk and dairy shops 24/7 to facilitate people during Ramzan, as the death toll from coronavirus reached 146 on Friday.
Khyber Pakhunkhtwa (KP) Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information Ajmal Wazir told a video-link media briefing that the decision to open cattle markets, milk and dairy shops 24/7 was taken during a high-level meeting of Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 with KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.
He said that the meeting was attended by Provincial Ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Shaukat Yousafzai and Advisor to CM for Information Ajmal Wazir, Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood, Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, KP police chief, relevant administrative secretaries and representatives of relevant civil and military bodies.
Wazir said that the forum decided that implementation of standard operating procedures (SoPs) in the shops already allowed to operate would be monitored strictly and in case of non-compliance, they would be sealed instead of imposing fines.
He said that all schools receiving over Rs6,000 fee per student would give 20 per cent discount and schools with less than Rs6,000 fee would provide 10 per cent relaxation, while owners of shops could not expel tenants on non-payment of rent for three months.
Wazir said that the forum decided that strategy for the upcoming days would be devised in consultation with other provinces and federal government in the next meeting of National Coordination Committee (NCC), however, the final decision would be taken keeping in view the peculiar ground realities of the province.
He said that the KP government has decided to establish its own transmission and grid company to address electricity problems of the people swiftly.
He also said that Doctors, paramedics and others officials from BPS-1 to BPS-22 who died while fighting against COVID-19 on front line would be given Rs7 million package.
He further said that 106 quarantine centres with 3,226 people were active out of total 330 quarantine centres with capacity of 22,030 in KP, adding that 279 doctors and paramedics were performing duties in these 106 quarantine centres.
The adviser said that the number of coronavirus cases in KPhave surged to 2,627 out of which 654 have recovered and 146 have died. He said that the KP CM was monitoring the situation round the clock.
He paid tribute to labourers and said that the government would take all possible steps to address problems of all those labourers who lost jobs due to coronavirus pandemic.
