PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to implement all the decisions of National Coordination Committee (NCC) in the province with regard to further relaxing lockdown curbs.
KP Government Spokesman Ajmal Wazir told the media on Friday that small shops and construction industry have been allowed to operate five days in a week and a notification to this effect would be issued as well.
He said that it would be responsibility of the traders, businessmen, industries’ owners and shopkeepers to implement the standard operating procedures (SOPs), otherwise action would be taken against them.
Wazir said that until now as many as 3,956 coronavirus positive cases were reported from across the province since the pandemic started, adding that 984 patients had recovered while 209 people had succumbed to coronavirus disease.
He said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, the provincial government has decided to implement the decisions of NCC to demonstrate national solidarity at this time of tragedy.
Wazir said that for the first time under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan all the provinces and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) were being consulted first and then the decisions were being taken.
“As per the vision of the PM, the government is fighting on two fronts one against coronavirus pandemic and other against poverty and hunger, so the government has decided to further relax lockdown restrictions,” he said.
Regarding opening of schools, he said KP government would follow the decision of the federal government and there would be no change in this regard.
Referring to intra-district transport, he said that on the instructions of the CM, transport department, transport authority and deputy commissioners were holding meetings with transporters to finalise SOPs and as soon as they reach on some consensus intra district transport would be opened.
Wazir slammed Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for criticising the federal and KP government during his video talks with KP doctors and said that he should mend matters in his own province before interfering in affairs of others.
He said that the KP government was considering doctors and other frontline forces in high esteem and working for their welfare.
He said that when Dr Javed passed away, the KP CM, along with his team, reached the hospital and expressed solidarity with the doctors.
“The KP government is not sitting in drawing room rather whole KP cabinet is working in field to protect lives of masses from the pandemic,” he remarked.
He said that the PPP chief should be first concerned about people of Sindh where his party was in power and people were dying there due to hunger and starvation in Thar and due to poor health conditions.
