Grocery, medical stores spared Sindh lockdown

By Mumtaz Alvi *** Muhammad Anis

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Government of Sindh on Tuesday announced the closure of shopping malls and restaurants for the next 15 days, the spokesperson for the provincial chief minister said. The decision comes after the national coronavirus tally soared to 236.

Public parks, as well as Karachi’s Sea View, would also remain closed for the next two weeks, the spokesperson added.

The province’s government offices will be shut down by Thursday, he said, adding that inter-city bus services would also be suspended, reported Geo News.

Adviser to provincial chief minister Murtaza Wahab said: “All restaurants, malls, shopping centres will be closed in Sindh from tomorrow.” “Only takeaways & deliveries will be allowed. Section 144 also to be imposed at beach & parks. It is clarified that shopping stores & chemists will remain open. Citizens are once again urged to cooperate,” he added. “We want to restrict people to their houses, the spokesperson said, as the province remains the worst-affected by the virus.

Grocery stores, vegetable stores, and fish and chicken markets will remain open, he said. The people will not be allowed to dine-in but they can take-away and order food at home, he added.

The total number of coronavirus patients in the province rose to 212 on Tuesday after more new cases of the infection were reported in the province, Sindh government representative Murtaza Wahab confirmed.

Taking to Twitter, the chief minister’s adviser on law stated that 134 pilgrims in Sukkur who arrived from Taftan had tested positive for the virus while 140 had tested negative.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday announced Rs3 billion funds for coronavirus victims, saying that various officials of the Sindh government and PPP MPAs will donate their salaries to it.

The announcement was made by Sindh government representative Senator Murtaza Wahab on Twitter. “#SindhGovt has established a Corona Virus Relief Fund with the seed money of Rs3 Billion. The CM, Ministers, Advisors, Special Assistants & all PPP MPAs will contribute their 1-month salary into the fund,” he tweeted.

Officers of Sindh government’s Grade 21 will donate half of their salaries to the fund while officers of Grade 17-20 will donate 10% of their salaries. It was also announced that officers of Grade 1-16 will donate 5% of their salaries to the fund.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday night urged the nation not to panic, as the coronavirus will spread but the nation will collectively fight to overcome it, God willing.

In his address to the nation, the prime minister remarked, “ghabrana nahin hai (need not to panic)” and cautioned that the number of cases of coronavirus would rise but the life and death was in the hands of Allah Almighty and human being could only make efforts.

He called upon the public to take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading while also urged religious scholars to guide the people in coping with the challenge, maintaining cleanliness. He emphasised that the ‘war of coronavirus could not be fought by the government alone and that China government had fought it long with its people and it had now been overcome almost.

The prime minister expressed resolve that this war would have to be won with responsibility and adopting precautionary measures. He explained going to large gatherings be avoided and gathering of over 40 be voided as well as staying in closed rooms, handshake while hands be washed repeatedly, ensuring cleanliness. He referred to a divine saying of the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) regarding cleanliness.

However, he emphasised that the virus was dangerous for elderly people or those having weak immune system. He also explained that the virus was a sort of flue, which spread rapidly while 97 per cent cases recover completely and among these, 90 per cent suffer from mild flu and 4-5 per cent have to go to hospital and need treatment.

He also said that extreme care was also required, as this virus was coming from outside and in two-week time, through observation, it could be confirmed whether someone suffered from it or not. He said flu or cough does not mean it is because of the virus. “There is no need to be panic. We shall fight it as a nation with courage and win over it,” he said.

The premier said the economic committee would review the effects the Covid-19 crisis would have on the economy and added suspected that an artificial shortage of basic commodities would be created, which would cause prices to go up. However, he warned the hoarders and profiteers, who would try to take undue advantage of the people’s helplessness and asserted that the state would take action against them with full force.

He pointed out that even developed countries could not curb the Covid-19 and added that a suggestion was floated for a national shutdown but it was not possible in Pakistan, for our situation was not the same like that the US or Europe in terms of joblessness and poverty.

The prime minister contended that a shutdown would only lead to more problems and complications. “Our people will die from hunger if we impose a national shutdown to save them from coronavirus,” he said. He explained the government response to the virus and said that Pakistan started from January 15 on prevention of it by screening people at airports and 0.9 million persons were screened while the first case reported on February 26 and the National Security Committee had its meetings last week anticipating surfacing of more cases. The response of various countries, he noted, were studied while Italy did nothing and then opted for lockdown and UK adopted an entirely different approach and US also did nothing initially and now entire cities were being shut.

The government then decided to close down educational institutions and the National Coordination Committee was formed, which also to remain in touch with the chief ministers of the provinces as well as the NDMA, which was provided funds for purchase of equipment as well as ventilators for which orders were placed already.

An experts team, he said, was constantly studying and reviewing the situation from medical point of view and President Dr Arif Alvi was in China to find out how we could further learn from their experience. He said maximum effort would be made to prevent it from spreading, as human beings could only make efforts. He noted the government had realised the severity of the problem and all possible steps were being taken to overcome the threats arising out of this pandemic.

The prime minister underlined the need to sensitize masses on the seriousness of the issue and create public awareness on the precautionary measures.

He said that the committee of medical experts, which was studying methods of medical treatments undertaken by various countries, including China, to check this virus. The prime minister said coronavirus had engulfed the entire world and he had instructed the embassies to help out as much as possible the overseas Pakistanis in these difficult times. He said he had fully realisation of the Pakistani students stuck in Wuhan city and how much difficulties they had to face and their parents also passed through a very difficult time but the good news was that China had almost overcome the virus and while the cases in the world going up, they were coming down in China.

The premier highly appreciated the government of Balochistan and the Pakistan Army for taking special arrangements to fight the virus, with special reference to the Zaireen at Taftan border, where logistic was extremely difficult and they quarantined people there with great difficulty.

He urged the Ulema and religious scholars to fully support the government in its endeavours to purge the nation of this virus and create awareness among people about this virus, as to how important it was to adopt precautionary measures.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the world community should consider writing off the debt of countries such as Pakistan as the economies around the world slow down as an aftereffect of coronavirus pandemic.

The world community has to think of some sort of a debt write off for countries like us which are very vulnerable. At least that will help us in coping with it, he said.

The prime minister believes that the economic sanctions imposed on Iran should be lifted as the country is in a terrible state right now. “I actually fear for what is happening in Iran too because the sanctions have already you know impoverished Iran on top of it this virus,” he added.

As part of the national effort and in line with the decisions of National Security Committee (NSC) taken on March 13, all medical facilities of the Armed Forces are operationalised and geared up to meet any eventuality to deal with the pandemic, the ISPR said on Tuesday.

The Covid-19 testing labs are established at major military hospitals across the country and central testing lab at Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi. The Covid-19 help desk is established at each military hospital for fast track handling.

The ISPR said the armed forces are fully involved in assisting the government and provincial administrations to tackle the situation since the outbreak and duly vigilant of the developing situation post Covid-19.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has also directed all commanders to take maximum necessary measures to assist the civil administration for safety and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan.

Army Chief directs to take steps to assist civil administration for safety of people in wake of coronavirus.

Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday asked the ministry concerned to renegotiate with the local as well as international power companies in the given situation to ensure relief to the consumers, as the accords signed by the past rulers, had pushed them to tunnel in terms of higher tariff.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said this giving briefing to media persons about the Federal Cabinet decisions. She was flanked by Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri and CII Chairman Qibla Ayaz while Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan joined them afterwards.

Presided over by prime minister, the meeting took stock of various key national matters, including the national security, public welfare-oriented initiatives and the issue of coronavirus, which had gripped the entire world.

Replying to questions, she accused the opposition of doing politics on a national challenge in the shape of coronavirus, which reflected their shallow mentality. She insisted the challenge at hand underscored the need for unity and harmony to lend a helping hand to the government to meet this challenge but the opposition was trying to create divisions and indulge in point scoring, putting behind what was need of the hour.

However, she welcomed the suggestions floated by the opposition, assuring that these would be reflected in the government strategy. About the opposition’s allegation of the government’s delayed response to the virus, she explained that Pakistan’s ground realities, regional situation and economic situation was entirely different to the advanced nations.

She noted that Pakistan was the 48th country to be hit by the virus, none could predict while the situation of Italy, the United States and the UK was before all as well as China with its most advanced technology.

Regarding the foreign funding case, she said that if their leader in real terms had pain of the nation, then they should ask him to return from London and be seen among people to combat the menace of coronavirus. “But they have nothing to do with the people and before talking about foreign funding, the beneficiary of the foreign funding should give date of homecoming. Instead of doing lip service, they should end their pleasure trip with their children and join people,” she stressed.

She continued that instead of wearing fashionable hats, they should come back and help in combating the virus. She added the cabinet was apprised of the overall situation relating to coronavirus and the steps taken by the National Coordination Committee to deal with it.

The meeting was told that the committee was working in cooperation with provincial governments to monitor the situation and take steps, which were also being informed to public on daily basis. Dr. Firdous explained Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, while giving briefing on budget strategy paper, said that unprecedented achievements had been made in a relative shorter period of time.

The cabinet, she noted, overviewed the amounts spent on food security, health, higher education, tourism and other sectors. While the forum was informed that present government had paid Rs5000 billion debt (interest), financially empowered the ministries and increased revenue by 17 percent.

Minister of Religious Affairs Dr Noorul Haq Qadri said that all big gatherings of all religions had been postponed in a bid to contain spread of the coronavirus, whereas functions and gatherings of other religions like Holi had also been postponed. He said that it would be better to avoid handshake in the given situation and there should be minimum number of people during prayers at mosques. He said anyone involved in causing disturbance on sectarian lines would be deemed as a heinous crime.

Religious scholars, he explained, would be approached at divisional, district level to help create awareness among people about the virus.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology Qibla Ayaz appealed to the Ulema to come forward and play their due role in creating awareness regarding precautionary measures against coronavirus, spelt out by the government and experts.

Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that National Security Committee’s decision of diverting international flights to Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi airports had been reviewed and now all international flights are allowed to operate on other international airports of the country, except Gwadar and Turbat airports from Saturday.

He said all the international flights coming to Pakistan would be disinfected properly, while passengers on domestic flights would have to pass through the screening procedure on arrival and departure.

Meanwhile six new cases of novel coronavirus have been emerged in Punjab pushing the total number of cases in the country to 236.