"If I impose a lockdown now, it will have adverse effects on the poor of our society": PM Imran Khan

[Sirris]

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have all gone for some sort of soft lockdown.

Can Pakistan not do the same?

When the goal is to contain and eliminate the virus then there is no such thing as a "soft" lockdown. Either you are ready for over a month long radical lockdown where from security forces to family members everyone is wearing a mask like in China or you don't lockdown. A couple of days of janta curfew is a mindless excersise wasting useful ressources and time which could be used in setting up testing camps and getting safety kit for the medical staff.

Pakistan and India both are in the initial phase where increased testing, tracking down and isolating the infected and their relatives could work to drastically slow down the virus. This is the approach Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea took. Look at them right now.

Italy, France and Spain were all forced to lockdown since they initially miscalculated the widespread of the virus. It was too late for them to track down and isolate since the numbers were rising too fast day by day. Even after weeks of lock down their numbers are increasing. Not because lock down doesn't work rather because that's how widespread the virus was already in those countries before the lockdown. Now they have to show patience and it will take another couple of weeks for the numbers to begin to lower. Yes lower the infected not eliminate the virus completely. Do people in Pakistan and India have this much patience? Especially since the virus has in no way spread out of control like in those countries.

Austria and Denmark can afford a lockdown their total population is less than Karachi's and size smaller than our provinces. The dynamics at play in Europe are different than they dynamics in Pakistan. As I highlighted here http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/forumdisplay.php?12-Time-Pass-and-Sports

Italy started with a "soft" lockdown but they had to make it more radical day by day.

Germany with 30k+ infected has still not gone for a total country-wide lockdown. They have top virologist as advisors, who are involved with the latest research on coronavirus and none is pushing so desperately for a lockdown as some media divas in Pakistan are pushing for. Are they dumb in Germany?

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh aren't a model for how to combat the virus. Singapore, Japan and Taiwan are.

The thing is a lockdown is a superficial lazy and easy solution for South Asian governments. This way they can superficially demonstrate to the public that they are doing something. While on the other hand coming up with a strategy, identifying potential hot spots of the virus, condoning off those areas and going after the infected vigilantly and tracing down their relatives requires effort and hard work.

Hence they have opted for the easier way and while I hope for the best it is easy to see it won't work.

 

[GBK_Fan]

How will IK be responsible?

He is already telling people to quarantine and maintain "social distance"

The question is, can he feed 25% of people in their homes for weeks?

Don't write bee-ess bro.

If he doesnot feed them at home, they will probably catch the disease outside. He will then have to feed them and pay for the medical expenses too.

Anyway I think Karachi is under lockdown for a week, hopefully that should help reduce the numbers

 

[Sirris]

If he doesnot feed them at home, they will probably catch the disease outside. He will then have to feed them and pay for the medical expenses too.

Anyway I think Karachi is under lockdown for a week, hopefully that should help reduce the numbers

How is locking down Karachi for a week going to help reduce the numbers? What's the underlying mechanism that's going to help reduce them in the long term?

A week long lockdown of the city is only going to show it's effect 5-10 days after the lockdown. During the lockdown expect the numbers of infected to rise unless people stop getting themselves tested anymore out of fear.

There are people who were infected by the virus today! It might take them two weeks to show the symptoms. This means in two weeks they will start to get a cough and a fever. After 5 - 10 days of the symptoms depending on how the disease develops they might need hospitalization and that's when they will most likely get tested. This mean for around 25-30 days they are under the radar and free to spread the virus.

After 25-30 days Karachi will be ready for a new lockdown. If people keep on freaking out over 200 cases of confirmed cases and calling for lockdowns then we will be stuck in a cycle of lockdown.

We need to get the number to 0. Reducing it isn't going to help us since the moment you lift the lockdown it will start growing exponentially again.

It's necessary to increase the testing rate and track down individuals who have come in contact with an infected person with past 14 days and test them. The ressources wasted on enforcing the lockdown can be used in a much better way to fight the virus efficiently.

The 200 confirmed cases in Karachi need to be interviewed about activities of past 14 days. Which bazar they went to, which area they live in and which people they had close contact with. Then according to the information certain area of the city should be isolated and the people there tested.

Right now if we say 10000 people are carrying the virus in Pakistan then that's less then that's about 0.005% of the population. Or in Karachi's case let's say 1000 are carrying the virus. That's about 0.007% of the population. It's total madness to lockdown the whole city for such a small number. A more focused and strategic approach is required.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It's necessary to increase the testing rate and track down individuals who have come in contact with an infected person with past 14 days and test them.

This part I agree with wholeheartedly. We need to be efficient in terms of tracking down suspected cases and isolating them and all the people they might have gotten into contact with.

The 200 confirmed cases in Karachi need to be interviewed about activities of past 14 days. Which bazar they went to, which area they live in and which people they had close contact with. Then according to the information certain area of the city should be isolated and the people there tested.

Right now if we say 10000 people are carrying the virus in Pakistan then that's less then that's about 0.005% of the population. Or in Karachi's case let's say 1000 are carrying the virus. That's about 0.007% of the population. It's total madness to lockdown the whole city for such a small number. A more focused and strategic approach is required.

However, this kind of thinking needs to be debunked. If the bazaars stay open, the infected person is allowed to transmit the virus across a wider range, which effectively multiplies the spread of the virus in an exponential fashion, thereby limiting the effectiveness of any containment measures. You are always playing catch-up and can never hope to defeat this menace owing to a shortage of hospital beds and resources. The earlier you lockdown, the more chance you have of eventually suppressing it. Stop looking at lagging indicators such as total number of confirmed cases and deaths, and focus instead on preventing worst case scenarios.

The long-term economic impact of a large number of fatalities will be much more grave than a few weeks of lockdown. Once the number of deaths increases, the government will be forced to act any way but by which time it will be too late.

 

[BoredFromLifeXi]

[MENTION=144682]Sirris[/MENTION] brother, you are confused person. You are going in circles. How can you allow infected person going to market and outside. Can't he give virus to wider number of peoplewith no clue of contacting and no hope of finding it. Lockdown is only a small measure but it's absolutely necessary.

 

[GBK_Fan]

How is locking down Karachi for a week going to help reduce the numbers? What's the underlying mechanism that's going to help reduce them in the long term?

A week long lockdown of the city is only going to show it's effect 5-10 days after the lockdown. During the lockdown expect the numbers of infected to rise unless people stop getting themselves tested anymore out of fear.

There are people who were infected by the virus today! It might take them two weeks to show the symptoms. This means in two weeks they will start to get a cough and a fever. After 5 - 10 days of the symptoms depending on how the disease develops they might need hospitalization and that's when they will most likely get tested. This mean for around 25-30 days they are under the radar and free to spread the virus.

After 25-30 days Karachi will be ready for a new lockdown. If people keep on freaking out over 200 cases of confirmed cases and calling for lockdowns then we will be stuck in a cycle of lockdown.

We need to get the number to 0. Reducing it isn't going to help us since the moment you lift the lockdown it will start growing exponentially again.

It's necessary to increase the testing rate and track down individuals who have come in contact with an infected person with past 14 days and test them. The ressources wasted on enforcing the lockdown can be used in a much better way to fight the virus efficiently.

The 200 confirmed cases in Karachi need to be interviewed about activities of past 14 days. Which bazar they went to, which area they live in and which people they had close contact with. Then according to the information certain area of the city should be isolated and the people there tested.

Right now if we say 10000 people are carrying the virus in Pakistan then that's less then that's about 0.005% of the population. Or in Karachi's case let's say 1000 are carrying the virus. That's about 0.007% of the population. It's total madness to lockdown the whole city for such a small number. A more focused and strategic approach is required.

Governments the world over have started with smaller lockdown periods and then gradually extended them as they get a better handle of the situation eg: Spain where they have extended the curfew for another 2 weeks.

Karachi like Mumbai will become a hot spot for the virus because of the density of population and a large migrant base + slums. If it reaches the slums and tightly packed areas, you are looking at a disaster. The government is better off locking things down now.

Also testing does not seem to be the recourse taken by any subcontinental country. There could be 2 reasons for the same. The tests are expensive and need to be imported + personnel trained to effectively use them. The second is the administrative experience in containing spreads before using lockdowns and door to door community health visits (atleast that’s what seems to be planned for India)

 

[Sirris]

[MENTION=144682]Sirris[/MENTION] brother, you are confused person. You are going in circles. How can you allow infected person going to market and outside. Can't he give virus to wider number of peoplewith no clue of contacting and no hope of finding it. Lockdown is only a small measure but it's absolutely necessary.

Ideally people would be excersising social distance and minimizing the risk of an infection. But I realize that's a dream in Pakistan. Also remember for an infection to transmit the infected needs to have been in close contact with you for atleast 15 minutes. If you just passby an infected person you won't get an infection unless the person coughs into your face.

I am not against closing marktes and restaurants. In general I think the lockdown of big cities like Karachi and Lahore is a good thing and should be done however by starting small and with a targeted approach and then step by step increasing the radius of the lockdown if necessary.

I am against a countrywide lockdown which Imran Khan defined as following

What is a complete lockdown? A complete lockdown means a curfew where we have to call in police and army to ensure that no one comes out of his/her home.

The reason I am against it is the resources need to enforce it can be invested in a far better way.

I am for a targeted lockdowns with a plan in mind to identify and go after the infected and isolate them. My biggest fear is that after imposing a countrywide lockdown the authorities would be in a false sense of security thinking they have done enough while those with the virus will go into hiding and stay at home. These are the people that need to be identified encouraged to get tested and testing made easily available to them.

It's easy for me to find faults and say whatever comes to my mind because I don't have to bear the responsibility of any wrong decision. Things are not under my control and luckily I am not the one who has to make the decision what to do. I hope things work out.

 

[srh]

what is the point of Imran Khan refusing the lockdown when the economic centre Karachi has already lockdown? He is showing failed leadership in this regard. Heck Bilawal Bhutto is showing better decision making right now than Imran Khan.
Now just heard that Punjab is also going to lockdown. So 2 provinces has shown Imran Khan that he is wrong and one of them is where his party is in power

 

[amvbfm]

what is the point of Imran Khan refusing the lockdown when the economic centre Karachi has already lockdown? He is showing failed leadership in this regard. Heck Bilawal Bhutto is showing better decision making right now than Imran Khan.
Now just heard that Punjab is also going to lockdown. So 2 provinces has shown Imran Khan that he is wrong and one of them is where his party is in power

Things are pretty strange. The PM is saying he doesn't want a lockdown but pretty much all four provinces are in lockdown. Three provinces have already asked for army. There appears to be absolutely zero coordination between the center and the provinces.

 

[the Great Khan]

what is the point of Imran Khan refusing the lockdown when the economic centre Karachi has already lockdown? He is showing failed leadership in this regard. Heck Bilawal Bhutto is showing better decision making right now than Imran Khan.
Now just heard that Punjab is also going to lockdown. So 2 provinces has shown Imran Khan that he is wrong and one of them is where his party is in power

so lets get billo to take over. Cmon get a grip.

They are directly responsible for this crisis in pakistani healthcare. So lets just get that straight,

those calling for a fukll lockdown at this moment in time do not understand the ramifications.

You need a phased lockdown strategy, then isolate the clusters and test like crazy. At the moment according to what I can see community transmission has been relatively low and most of the stuff is from travellers. However community transmission is expected to rise.

Do not panic. You are not at that stage yet. only 3 deaths. the UK has nearly 15k cases and over a hundred deaths. a and e is about to be overwhelmed. Nobody is doing sodial distancing. no lockdowns..

Pakistan has shown more discipline and has initiated lockdowns and closing down schools etc..

the PPP are a mafia and will destroy this country..they already have for goodness sake. And your pining for that useless oxford history graduate?

 

[Hitman]

Lockdown has been announced in my state till 31st March just minutes ago.

 

[the Great Khan]

Things are pretty strange. The PM is saying he doesn't want a lockdown but pretty much all four provinces are in lockdown. Three provinces have already asked for army. There appears to be absolutely zero coordination between the center and the provinces.

the provinces have autonomy and these decisions have been made at the NSC. He doesnt agree with a full lockdown. These are phased partial lockdowns..a full lockdown is different.

 

[srh]

so lets get billo to take over. Cmon get a grip.

They are directly responsible for this crisis in pakistani healthcare. So lets just get that straight,

those calling for a fukll lockdown at this moment in time do not understand the ramifications.

You need a phased lockdown strategy, then isolate the clusters and test like crazy. At the moment according to what I can see community transmission has been relatively low and most of the stuff is from travellers. However community transmission is expected to rise.

Do not panic. You are not at that stage yet. only 3 deaths. the UK has nearly 15k cases and over a hundred deaths. a and e is about to be overwhelmed. Nobody is doing sodial distancing. no lockdowns..

Pakistan has shown more discipline and has initiated lockdowns and closing down schools etc..

the PPP are a mafia and will destroy this country..they already have for goodness sake. And your pining for that useless oxford history graduate?

of course I dont want Bilawal. His failure to distance himself from his father's corruption is enough reason for me to not trust him.

But we cannot see past Imran Khan's mismanagement in this virus issue. He made the right decision to leave Pakistani students in China but he did not setup testing and Quarantine facilities in entry points of Pakistan quick enough and as a result virus arrived in Pakistan. There are reports that his best friend Zulfi Bukhari of UK was involved in letting first batch of travellers from Iran getting into Pakistan without any testing when everybody knew Iran is affected. Then even in testing the corruption comes into play for example there is a report that a passenger at Islamabad airport was able to get past testing by paying bribe and later he tested positive. He took it too easy, should have been on front foot right from start.

 

[amvbfm]

the provinces have autonomy and these decisions have been made at the NSC. He doesnt agree with a full lockdown. These are phased partial lockdowns..a full lockdown is different.

There still doesn't appear to be any coordination between the center and the provinces. Autonomy is fine but there needs to be coordination in the formulation and implementation of a uniform strategy for the entire country. Instead each province is going its own way while the PM has totally different views.

 

[the Great Khan]

of course I dont want Bilawal. His failure to distance himself from his father's corruption is enough reason for me to not trust him.

But we cannot see past Imran Khan's mismanagement in this virus issue. He made the right decision to leave Pakistani students in China but he did not setup testing and Quarantine facilities in entry points of Pakistan quick enough and as a result virus arrived in Pakistan. There are reports that his best friend Zulfi Bukhari of UK was involved in letting first batch of travellers from Iran getting into Pakistan without any testing when everybody knew Iran is affected. Then even in testing the corruption comes into play for example there is a report that a passenger at Islamabad airport was able to get past testing by paying bribe and later he tested positive. He took it too easy, should have been on front foot right from start.

there are rumours that zukfi was involved but no concrete evidence. Most of this nonsense has been spread from the patwaris.

coming onto his so called mismanagment, the iran crisis took everyone by surprise and when they dumped our pilgrims at the border what were we to do? let them die?

They did what they could with what they have. Pakistan is bankrupt. Has no money yet is doing a decent job despite this.

He didnt take it easy. there were a handful of cases. You dont lockdown at a handful of cases.

the co-ordination has been there. do you think the army just came out on its own? of course not. He has been up front and has provided a clear message to the people. Gave addresses , addressed the media and so forth. He has not shied away.

Unlike previous regimes that run to London

Yes there have been some issues but this is pakistan what do you expect? look at Italy and the uk..He is doing his best and his intentions are beyond doubt. Criticise beshuk but use some perspective.

 

[Ryw]

PM Imran to discuss public relief package with economic team as virus crisis deepens

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to discuss a relief package for the public with his economic team on Tuesday as the coronavirus outbreak in the country points to a looming financial crisis.

According to sources, the prime minister will hold a consultation on the topic with members of the his economic team later today, following which he is expected to announce the relief package to the public.

In the meeting, the officials will lay out the plan for providing assistance to the poor and vulnerable of the society that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. The plan will be aimed at daily wage workers as well.

The premier and his team will also discuss ways to provide a government subsidy on electric and gas bills to domestic users, and ponder upon a Rs200 billion rescue package for exporters.

Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar had on Monday said that a relief and stimulus package would be announced on Tuesday.
The federal minister said the Prime Minister's Office, members of the Cabinet, and representatives of various government divisions had worked to finalise the proposals for the upcoming package.

They put in efforts tirelessly over the past days to work out proposals and take decisions, he told the media in Lahore on Monday.
The purpose of the relief package is to aid the underprivileged class, who are most hard-hit during the coronavirus outbreak that has killed six people and infected more than 800 across Pakistan.

In his recent address, PM Imran had opposed the idea of a nation-wide lockdown for the sake of the poor, who according to him, would be disproportionately affected if the country shut down.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/278940-pm...-with-economic-team-before-making-it-official

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the subcontinent, with a high rate of poverty, we are faced with the stark choice of having to balance between a lockdown necessary to slow down/prevent the spread of COVID19 & ensuring people don't die of hunger & our economy doesn't collapse. So we are walking a tightrope.</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1246321369467494401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have locked down educational institutions, Malls, marriage halls, restaurants & other places where public congregates. But, to stop the devastation of the lockdown we have kept our agri sector open & now we are opening up our construction sector.</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1246321371908657152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Syed1]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the subcontinent, with a high rate of poverty, we are faced with the stark choice of having to balance between a lockdown necessary to slow down/prevent the spread of COVID19 & ensuring people don't die of hunger & our economy doesn't collapse. So we are walking a tightrope.</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1246321369467494401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have locked down educational institutions, Malls, marriage halls, restaurants & other places where public congregates. But, to stop the devastation of the lockdown we have kept our agri sector open & now we are opening up our construction sector.</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1246321371908657152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Risky move IK.... I hope this doesn't lead to an explosion of cases. Thank you China for sending the world into recession and pushing millions into abject poverty. Jaan jaye leken chimgaadar phir bhi khana hai.

 

[MenInG]

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that reports circulating on social media that the coronavirus will not affect Pakistanis were false, cautioning that the disease will not spare anyone.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Prime Minister's Corona Relief Fund in Lahore, he said: "I read often on social media that Allah has created Pakistanis in a way that corona won't affect them. Please don't delude yourselves into thinking like this. Corona won't spare anyone."

The premier asked people to not be "foolish" and advised them to take the necessary precautions against Covid-19.

"If you think you are immune, just look at New York. Many rich people live there [but] look at their condition now."

The premier said that the coronavirus was a two-fold challenge — the government needed to curb its spread while balancing it with helping the weaker sections of society. He added that the government team sat every day and pondered over which industries could be reopened so the economy could be kept running. He reassured the nation that he would not let "our workers starve".

Calling the Covid-19 pandemic a "very big challenge", he said that the nation would come out of it stronger.

Talking about efforts to deal with the crisis, the premier said that the government had given the "most expansive stimulus package in the country's history". He revealed that some 600,000 people had joined the Corona Tigers Relief Force set up to assist the government's relief efforts.

Referring to criticism of the government's response to Covid-19, the premier said the opposition could "only criticise as they have never done social work".

He announced that the government aimed for a direct cash-transfer programme and will launch a Facebook page next week to coordinate charity drives.

'Do not consider projections on case numbers the last word'

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza asked the public not to consider projections about the rise of Covid-19 cases being made by experts "the last word", saying they are only estimates.

"At this stage, it is uncertain whether these figures based on different scenarios and assumptions are true or not," he said, adding that the government is keeping a close eye on the evolving situation.

He was apparently alluding to a report submitted by the government to the Supreme Court in which Covid-19 cases in Pakistan are projected to rise sharply over the next 20 days.

During his daily press briefing, the SAPM also said that a large number of hand sanitisers being sold across the country were of "low quality".

"For sanitisers to be effective against viruses, they should have 70 per cent alcohol content while this is not the case with many products being sold," he said.

Mirza also stressed the need to rationally use PPEs (personal protective equipment). He said such equipment including N95 masks should be used only by frontline healthcare workers.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1546415/p...s-pm-imran-advises-citizens-not-to-be-foolish

 

[amvbfm]

Risky move IK.... I hope this doesn't lead to an explosion of cases. Thank you China for sending the world into recession and pushing millions into abject poverty. Jaan jaye leken chimgaadar phir bhi khana hai.

I see a number of problems with this even if I ignore my basic disagreement regarding the amnesty for source of funds and taxes.

Firstly, I don't understand how this will work logistically. You will have to open up transport and restaurants etc to move and feed these workers. Secondly, I really don't see where the demand will come from for any projects at this time. Everyone other than the elite classes are either worried about their jobs and businesses or even struggling to put food on their table and that is something that won't change soon. In such a situation who will buy? Yes there can be infrastructure projects but from what I understood (and I could be wrong) that is not the main aim of this. In such a time who would want to invest in this other than those who only want to whiten their money. Thirdly, given how informal this sector is in Pakistan there is zero chance that they will follow any health and safety guidelines.

I am no economist and I don't know what else could've been done that wouldn't have been exploited by the business class but still don't fully understand this move.

 

[amvbfm]

Risky move IK.... I hope this doesn't lead to an explosion of cases. Thank you China for sending the world into recession and pushing millions into abject poverty. Jaan jaye leken chimgaadar phir bhi khana hai.

Not to mention the fact that this will also bring us more scrutiny in FATF where unregulated real estate was already a sticking point. I know desperate times call for desperate measures but I feel this could have been better thought out and implemented.

 

[MenInG]

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed the confidence that despite the many challenges to Pakistan from the coronavirus outbreak, it can emerge as a stronger nation and become the truly welfare state it was envisioned to be.

"When we emerge from this challenge, we will be a totally different nation. We will be the nation which was envisioned.

"It was a big vision which we have forgotten," said the premier, during a ceremony organised for the Corona Relief Fund in Lahore.

He said that the "primary reason why our respect in the world has diminished and we face so many difficulties is because we left the vision far behind, the promise that was Pakistan".

He said businessmen, in his experience, face greater losses not when there are hard times, but when in those times they try to take "shortcuts" or commit fraud.

"Those who take such times as a test and face it head on as a challenge, come out stronger."

Urging patience on the part of all Pakistanis, the premier said the greatest quality one can possess is to exercise patience during tough times. "Those who are patient go far in life. Those who throw their hands in the air and give up, they rank among the many who fail."

He said one has to admit these are difficult times without having any pretense of the situation being otherwise. "It is difficult because no one has the experience to deal with such a crisis."

Citing the example of giant economies which have far greater resources and institutions, with health systems which have more funding that what Pakistan spends on its entire population.

"The US has prepared a $2,000bn relief package whereas we can barely manage a $8bn one."

He said that despite their resources, there is "a breakdown of their systems".

"If this is what can happen to them, our situation was dire to begin with."

He said that around 50-60 million people are already below the poverty line and cannot afford to have two meals a day. "Above these people are 50-60 million others, who are right at the border. If one misfortune befalls them they are pushed below the poverty line."

He said those with means must contribute and the government's "historic" package will continue to be expanded alongside.

The prime minister said the nation's entire efforts right now are geared towards protecting the most vulnerable sector right now — the daily wage workers.

"The small shop owner, the rickshaw driver [...]those in construction, the painter, the welder, they are all sitting at home right now. "

He said there is a fine balance to strike between stemming the spread of the virus and taking care of the poor.

"One the one hand we closed all places were people could gather but on the other we have to run our affairs in a manner that we do not let these vulnerable segments feel the financial crunch that comes from such measures.

"We have opened the construction industry," said the prime minister which will provide "the most jobs" in cities.

He said in villages the agriculture sector had been allowed to function as usual as it is one upon which rural residents depend on for income.

"Everyday we sit down and think about which other such industries we can open to strike this balance."

Corona Relief Tigers to assist in 'long war'
He said so far 600,000 volunteers have applied to the Corona Relief Tigers force who will lead the fight against the pandemic.

"No one should be under the false impression that Pakistanis will remain safe," said the premier, while warning the nation the fight against the coronavirus will be "a long war".

He urged everyone to remain self-disciplined and excercise precaution.

The premier said a lockdown will certainly be implemented wherever a surge in cases is witnessed but for a lockdown to be successful the Force will have to be fully operational so food supplies are able to reach every household.

'Organised charitable work'
He said that it makes him happy to see so many foundations and charitable organisations have opened, recalling how when he started the Shaukat Khanum, only Edhi's name would be prominent in doing large scale charity work.

PM Imran said Pakistan ranks as the fifth or sixth most charitable nation. He said people only donate when they have trust it will be utilised as intended.

He said with the assistance of Dr Sania, who is incharge of the Ehsaas Programme, a large database had been made and will constantly be updated with a list of families who are most deserving.

The prime minister said that distribution of funds will be done "purely on merit" without any "political interference". "It will not matter who belongs to which party".

He said the crisis will be a true test of how MPAs serve their constituencies in this difficult time. "The field of politics has been stained with this belief that politicians say they will serve the people's interests but only serve their own."

The prime minister said a Facebook page will be launched next week which will identify which areas are the most in need of donations.

He said all charities wishing to donate will all be registered under one platform and will be informed of which areas need funds, so there is no duplication, like in the times when earthquakes and floods struck Pakistan.

"We must ensure the funds are utilised properly and for that we must be organised."

https://www.geo.tv/latest/280952-af...he-welfare-state-that-was-envisioned-pm-imran

 

[Abdullah719]

Govt easing lockdown to facilitate poor, boost economy: PM

(Karachi) Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government has decided to further ease lockdown in the country to facilitate the poor segments of the society and boost economy of the country.

Addressing a media briefing after NCC meeting on coronavirus and lockdown situation in Islamabad on Monday, he said that complete lockdown will only be imposed on weekends (Saturday and Sunday).

He mentioned that business and trade activities will operate five days a week from 8am till 7pm. However, he urged the public to follow SOPs and take precautionary measures. "We are only allowing those businesses to operate where there is low risk of spread of coronavirus."

Spoiler

He maintained, "There are 25 million labourers whose families will starve if they don't work. So I, personally, have always believed that the lockdown was going to affect these workers.

"And the purpose of a lockdown is that it only stops the spread of the virus. It is not a solution. Let me repeat, a lockdown isn't a solution or treatment.

"When we impose and enforce lockdowns, people starve. Those who live in DHA don't care about these things. They analyse things differently."

The PM said, "Corona is not going anywhere and we have to live with it." He warned that the coronavirus will continue to spread. The prime minister said that 80 to 90 percent coronavirus cases came from abroad.

"The world has agreed, the richest countries have come to the conclusion that the virus will spread no matter what. Nothing can be done about it. The virus will spread and our death toll will also rise."

He added that the public should take precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus.

The premier highlighted that the government has also decided to start operation of 40 trains and measures are also being taken to bring back stranded Pakistanis from abroad through special flights.

He said the government is also working to revive tourism industry. "I think that tourism should open now because tourism provides jobs to many in Gilgit-Baltistan and elsewhere. My appeal to you is please be a responsible nation because we have to prevent the spread of virus and also avoid poverty and misery."

http://www.brecorder.com/news/1000311/govt-easing-lockdown-to-facilitate-poor-boost-economy-pm

 

[Syed1]

Sad day for pro-lock down people who aren't even willing to listen to the other side of the story. Glad we have a PM who cares for the poor.

 

[MenInG]

Islamabad, Jun 1 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said it was a "mistake" to enforce a strict coronavirus lockdown as it aggravated the economic situation, even as the number of COVID-19 infections crossed the 72,000-mark in the country on Monday.

According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 2,964 new infections surfaced over the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally of coronavirus to 72,460.

"Lockdown is not a solution as it can only slow down. So it was a mistake to shut down business in the country," Khan said, after chairing a National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting here on Monday.

Khan said he was against the lockdown from the beginning but provincial governments took the decision to do so.

He said the economy suffered and if the lockdown continued the government would lose more revenue and poverty would increase.

"I was clear from the beginning (on) what we should do when other countries starting locking down cities. I thought we cannot do it as we have 120-150 million people who are poor," he said.

The rich demanded a complete lockdown as they have big houses and resources to live without any need to go out but the poor people face problems and opposed the policy, Khan said.

"Now we know that lockdown is not a solution and even rich countries are opening up," he said.

The cricketer-turned politician said that people should learn to live with the coronavirus and they can also help the government to deal with it by following guidelines.

"Coronavirus will not go away until the vaccine is discovered. We need to learn to live with it and we can live with it if we follow precautions," he said.

He said the 1 million volunteers of the government''s coronavirus force will raise awareness of the need to follow guidelines.

Khan said that the government was planning to open up tourism as people attached to the sector would suffer once the summer tourist months are over.

He announced that the mandatory quarantine for incoming Pakistanis would be stopped.

Under the new policy, every passenger will be allowed to go home after giving samples for testing and they will be asked to isolate at home if they test positive.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar on Sunday had said the Lockdown option was always on the table but not under active consideration.

Umar heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) which recommends to the government to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

The Ministry of National Health Services reported that 2,964 new infections surfaced over the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally of coronavirus to 72,460.

While the number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 72,000-mark, the death toll stood at 1,543 after 60 more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

According to the health ministry, 28,245 cases have been diagnosed in Sindh, 26,240 in Punjab, 10,027 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 4,393 in Balochistan, 2,589 in Islamabad, 711 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 255 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The ministry showed that 26,083 patients have been recovered so far from the virus. The authorities have conducted 561,136 tests, including 14,398 in the last 24 hours.

The month of May registered nearly 52,000 new coronavirus cases as the tally surged from 69,474 to 17,699 cases, while the death toll rose from 408 to 1,483.

https://www.outlookindia.com/newssc...own-even-as-covid19-cases-cross-72000/1852891

 

[MenInG]

• Overseas Pakistanis allowed to return with ease in quarantine policy
• Covid-19 cases jump to 74,320, with 1,574 deaths

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday announced the reopening of tourism industry and allowed all overseas Pakistanis to return home after the National Coordination Committee gave the go-ahead to self-quarantine policy for Covid-19 patients among them.

Over the past 24 hours, the countrywide tally of coronavirus cases surged from 71,068 to 74,320. So far, 29,647 cases have been detected in Sindh, 26,240 in Punjab, 10,485 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 4,393 in Balochistan, 2,589 in Islamabad, 711 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 255 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The death toll also climbed to 1,574 from 1,520.

The decisions to further ease the restrictions were taken at the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting, which was presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

While addressing a press conference after the meeting, Mr Khan said he was not in favour of imposing a “strict” lockdown that could add to the miseries of up to 150 million Pakistanis as it would render around 25 million unregistered or informal workers jobless. He said implications of strict lockdown were different for those living in slums and the people living in Defence (Defence Housing Authority), in the posh sector of E-7 in Islamabad and like him living in Banigala.

However, Mr Khan said, the provinces under the 18th constitutional amendment were free to make their own decisions.

Mr Khan said it was the responsibility of all to take precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus. “We have observed that only well-off people are observing SOPs but poor and common man do not follow precautionary measures without realising that if we don’t take precautions then we will continue to suffer.”

Earlier some reports emerged that the Punjab government had hidden a report, which indicates that no area in Lahore is coronavirus-free, as over 670,000 people in the metropolis have become patients of viral disease.

About the decisions taken at the NCC meeting, the PM said the government had prepared a Negative List of those businesses that could not be allowed to reopen.

“But we are opening tourism, because these three to four months are important for the people associated with tourism. Otherwise more joblessness will occur at these places,” he said, adding that the governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan would sit together and would make Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for reopening of the tourism industry in their respective jurisdictions.

The PM said the tourism industry should be revived once again but people will have to follow the SOPs devised by the government.

About overseas Pakistanis stranded in different countries, he said the government was fully aware of the miseries of overseas Pakistanis but due to limited quarantine facilities in the country only a limited number of them had been allowed to return. “But now today we have taken the decision that every overseas Pakistani can return to the country. They will be tested [for the virus] on arrival and if anyone is found positive, he will be advised to practise self-quarantine in home,” he said.

Mr Khan said: “I’m worried about our labourers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. They send valuable remittances to us.”

He said the NCC had made some other decisions also but they would be made public by federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Tuesday after holding the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting.

The PM said lockdown was not the cure of coronavirus but it only slowed down the spread of the disease. “Since day one, I have been insisting that we cannot impose such a strict lockdown that had been enforced in Wuhan (China), the US and some European countries,” he said, adding that the government had to keep a balance between preventive measures and economy.

“There are 25 million labourers whose families will starve if they don’t work. So I, personally, have always believed that the lockdown was going to affect these workers,” he said.

A report of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) released on Monday also feared more joblessness and poverty if lockdown is extended.

‘Nation will have to live with Covid-19’

Prime Minister Khan warned that the coronavirus would continue to spread and said like other nations, Pakistanis would have to live with it at least till the year end.

Asking the people to follow the government SOPs, Mr Khan said: “My appeal to you is please be a responsible nation, because we have to prevent the spread of virus and also avoid poverty and misery.”

He said the virus would spread in the days to come and more deaths would take place. “Even the richest countries have come to the conclusion that the virus will spread and our death toll will also rise,” he added.

He said the Pakistan’s economy was adversely affected by the viral disease, with the tax collection coming down by 30 per cent and there was a drastic shortfall in foreign remittances too.

Negative List

The government had imposed lockdown some three months ago but gradually lifted the restrictions in phases in view of the livelihoods of daily wage earners. Many businesses and industries have been reopened but those under the Negative List of the government are still shut. They include education and training institutions; marriage halls, business centres and expo halls; all contact sports, indoor sports clubs, indoor gyms, indoor sports facilities; sporting tournaments/matches (indoors and outdoors); restaurants, cafes excluding takeaways (alternative indoor dining allowed only up to a maximum seating of 20 people at one time with SOPs, four-square-metre rule); theme and amusement parks and arcades; beauty parlours and spas; cinema/theatres; all or any activity as the provincial or district administration may see fit within an area designated as a hotspot for Covid-19 outbreak.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1560666/i...stryan-lifts-restrictions-on-tourism-industry