After Sindh, Punjab and AJK opt for lockdown, army deployed across Pakistan to fight virus

LAHORE: A day after Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) opted for lockdown, Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) also followed suit and announced lockdown on Monday to control the spread of coronavirus which has claimed six lives in the country so far, as another two patients including a doctor died of the infection with nationwide cases reaching 884.

In another significant development, the army was deployed throughout the country to assist the civil administration in combating the pandemic, according to a notification issued by the interior ministry on Monday. While in order to ease the economic impact of stiffening conditions, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced an economic package for seven million daily wagers who would receive Rs3,000 per month to help run their households.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar told a news conference on Monday that the provincial government was further stepping up measures to check the spread of the infection, though he insisted it should not be viewed as lockdown or curfew. Spelling out measures decided at a meeting of the provincial cabinet committee on coronavirus, he said the partial lockdown would be enforced from March 24 (today) at 9:00 am till April 6. He said markets, shopping malls, public transport and recreational places as well as public and private insti-

tutions would remain closed, and pillion ridding would also be banned for the next two weeks. However, he added, shops of daily use items and medical stores would remain open in the province. The chief minister said the steps to limit mobility had been taken in the larger public interest.

In another development, the federal government decided on Monday to evacuate 72 Pakistanis stranded at Doha airport in Qatar. A spokesperson for the aviation division, in a press release, said a special flight carrying 72 Pakistanis who are in transit at Doha was expected to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday. Upon arrival, he added, the passengers would undergo strict health screening.

A notification of the deployment of army in Punjab stated: “The Competent Authority, in exercise of the powers conferred under Article 245 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Section I31-A of CrPC is pleased to authorize deployment of sufficient strength of troops of Pakistan Army in Punjab province depending upon the requirement to be worked out by the provincial Government in liaison with the Army authorities in connection with the prevailing situation related to the spread of COVID-19 and matters ancillary thereto, subject to laws enforced in Pakistan.” Similar notifications were issued for Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

A doctor from Gilgit-Baltistan was among the two latest fatalities in the country. Dr Usama Riaz, who played a vital role in screening suspected patients in the region, had passed away, according to a statement by Gilgit-Baltistan Information Department.