KARACHI/LAHORE: Authorities in Sindh and Punjab on Wednesday issued notifications regarding the extension of coronavirus lockdown but identified industries and businesses that would be permitted to resume operations.
The National Coordination Committee (NCC) of the federal cabinet, which met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, decided to ease the virus lockdown and allow limited economic activity in the country to mitigate the impact of economic crisis.
Various low-risk industries and sectors, including construction, chemical manufacturing, fertilizers, mining, glass manufacturing, e-commerce, and some others, were given the green light to re-open with safety protocols in place.
Following the announcement of the federal government, the Sindh government’s Home Department issued a notification detailing the extension of the virus lockdown in the province till April 30.
Under the new directives, the takeaway service from restaurants would also remain closed in the period, whereas home delivery of the food services would be allowed to continue. All religious congregations and gatherings of people at religious shrines would not be allowed during this period, the notification stated.
All public transport would also remain shut in the province during this period. Visits to jail to meet prisoners would also not beallowed during this period. The citizens would not be allowed to leave their homes from 5pm till 8am except in emergency cases. Pillion riding on motorcycles will not be allowed during this period, the notification said.
The home department said that certain sectors will be allowed to function during the lockdown, as per the policy announced by the federal government. But proper standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been announced for such industries and businesses as they re-open.
The sectors and industries granted exemption from the lockdown include the construction sector, the chemical industry, manufacturing plants, e-commerce, business process outsourcing, call centres, energy-related business (gas, LNG, refineries, and exploration), export-oriented industries, industries with labour within premises, industries with low labour component, including cement, chemicals, fertilizers, paper and packaging, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, dry cleaners, laundry, horticulture, veterinary services, software and programming, glass manufacturing, books and stationery shops, among others.
The notification says that the threat of the spread of COVID-19 has not subsided and that the opening up of different sectors and businesses is subject to strict adherence to the SOPs.
The SOPs issued by the Sindh Home Department relates to general working of the above businesses, social distancing among the employees, workplace cleanliness, regulations related to visitors and customers, transportation of human resource, goods’ transportation and related matters to minimise the risk of the COVID-19 spread.
Meanwhile, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that the decisions regarding the coronavirus are taken keeping in mind 210 million people and facts on the ground are taken into consideration.
Outlining the need for a balance between containing the coronavirus from spreading and also ensuring economic activity across the country does not come to a halt, Umar said that it was important to keep in mind those who were facing hardships due to the lockdown.
"We are trying to present the facts in front of you [masses] with honesty," he said. "We have to take decisions for the betterment of 210 million people," he added.
The minister said that the prime minister was particularly concerned about the thelawalas, tailors, workers, labourers and other daily wagers who were bearing the brunt of the lockdown. He said that there were concerns among the masses regarding the lockdown but facts had to be taken according to the situation.
"Decisions are taken keeping in mind the facts on the ground," he said, adding that people should not compare other countries with Pakistan as the situation regarding the coronavirus was different in each country.
"If you give me the responsibility to make decisions for Germany and Pakistan [about coronavirus], I'll take different decisions," he said. "Me, one person, will take two different decisions. This is because the situation on the ground in the two countries is quite different," he added.
Umar said that the basic direction of the country should be the same. He said that chief ministers of all provinces and other stakeholders take part in the National Coordination Committee meetings and present their recommendations.
"The direction we take should be the same and decisions should be taken with consultation," he said. "It is my opinion that provinces and even district administrations should be allowed flexibility to take decisions according to the situation," he added.
The minister said that once the pandemic was over, people can argue with one another about which steps taken by the government were correct and which were not. "For the time being, the need of the hour is that we battle this global problem with unity and let me tell you that it is happening to a great extent," he added.
Umar said that Rs35 billion have been given to more than 2.8 million people according to the Ehsaas Programme.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah once again called for the provincial and federal governments to get on the same page to tackle challenges arising out of the coronavirus epidemic in the country.
“During our meeting with the federal government, we asked for a uniform policy to deal with the situation,” Shah said while addressing a press conference in Karachi.
“It was decided in the meeting that the lockdown in the country would be extended for 14 days. All the provinces were unanimous in the decision that the lockdown should be extended,” he said.
The chief minister added that there were some issues, however, that the provinces and the federal government did not agree on.
“Some provinces and the federal government agreed that some essential workplaces should reopen. We did not agree to open shops of barbers, plumbers, electricians etc,” he said.
“We did, however, agree that plumbers and electricians — those involved in travelling to homes to provide services — be allowed, provided they are following the SOPs issued by the government,” he said.
“We all agreed to restart the automobile sector and domestic flights with the implementation of decided SOPs. We, however, suggested that the federal government wait for another two weeks before resuming domestic flight operations,” he said.
“We also agreed on the reopening of export-related industries,” he added. “In light of recent numbers, there may be a need for stricter implementation of the lockdown in the coming days. We have told the federal government about imposing strict measures,” he said.
“We cannot understand the need to open the construction sector at the moment,” Shah said, referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision in this regard.
“On the prime minister's directives, the provincial governments will open construction sites after ensuring SOPs are being followed,” he said. “Those workers aged more than 55 years will not be allowed to enter construction sites as per the guidelines. Workers will work in different shifts to ensure that no workplace is overcrowded at any time of the day.”
Each deputy commissioner is responsible for making sure that SOPs are being followed, he noted.
Speaking about an announcement by religious leaders and traders that they would no longer abide by lockdown guidelines, the chief minister said, “We will facilitate ulema and traders in this regard by meeting them and keeping them in the loop for all discussions. “I would like to thank the ulema and traders for cooperating with us [so far].”
“I would also request everyone to cooperate and extend their support by staying at home for the next two weeks. I repeat: please be careful with the elderly people in your family. For their safety, limit your interactions with them and avoid exposing them to the virus,” he said.
Responding to criticism regarding the cordoning off of some areas of Karachi to stem the spread of the virus, Shah said the provincial government was unnecessarily targeted for taking such extreme measures.
“I would like to apologise for the confusion created by the numbers and outdated district information. We are trying our level best to take measures with the information we have in hand.”
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Wednesday said the rulers should give hope to the masses but in his news conference Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah appeared to be creating fear of death.
Speaking at a news conference here along with the PTI Sindh senior leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, she reminded Murad Ali Shah that he had powers under the Constitution but at the same time he was also responsible to protect the rights of his people.
Dr. Firdous alleged that the Sindh government spokesman and minister were trying to divide the nation in the given critical situation. She asked Murad Ali Shah to pay attention to poverty and hunger and avoid building his media image.
She said if the Sindh government failed to provide ration to the poor segments of the society, it would mean that the lockdown was imposed to protect the rights of the upper class and to promote the CM’s image of ‘good boy’ in the media.
Dr. Firdous said Shah was empowered under the 18th Amendment Act to decide on easing or extending the lockdown in the province but as the chief executive of the province he was responsible to ensure that all poor people were provided with ration.
She said during the National Coordination Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, decisions were made with consensus and for the sake of national unity, the prime minister authorized the provinces to take their own decisions on the lockdown and opening low-risk industries to provide employment to the daily wagers.
“All other provinces, she noted, accepted the decisions made in the NCC meeting but the Sindh government spokesman and a provincial minister made a controversial tweet, which was an effort to divide the nation at this critical juncture,” said Firdous.
She said time and again the Sindh government was informed during the NCC meetings that they were free to take decisions in the larger interest of the people of the province keeping in mind the ground situation.
She contended that the federal government was ready to cooperate with the provincial government in the process of providing relief to the poor segments of the society and Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme was its manifestation, as disbursements were being made in all the provinces and Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan including Sindh.
She said the federal government had announced Rs1200 billion relief package, whereas the provinces received a major chunk of revenue. “Therefore, the Sindh government should have announced a relief package for vulnerable segments of the society,” Firdous said.
She said the boxes of relief packages given by the federal government carried Qauid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s image adding that this was not the time of political point scoring, but serving the masses.
She said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to take all provinces along in the fight against the coronavirus, as the government was fighting on two fronts — controlling coronavirus and protecting people from hunger and starvation.
Haleem Adil Sheikh said the PTI was in the opposition in Sindh, but it wanted to cooperate with the provincial government at this critical time. He said the Sindh government should disclose where it had distributed relief goods worth billions of rupees to prove its claims.
He argued that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should know that the health sector was a provincial subject. He said the PPP had been in power for the last 12 years but despite that the provincial health infrastructure was in a bad shape. About the Corona Relief Tiger Force, Sheikh said thousands of youths had joined the force in Sindh and were working actively to provide relief to the deserving and needy ones.