Bilawal calls for imposing lockdown

KARACHI: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged the PTI-led federal government to review its decision not to impose a lockdown all over Pakistan amid the concerning situation of the coronavirus pandemic, saying a delay would exacerbate the difficulties for the poor people of the society. In a video message hours before the Sindh government imposed a province-wide lockdown to fight COVID-19, Bilawal said only unity would help defeat the coronavirus and that it was important for people to stay home as the virus was spreading fast.

"This is war," he said. "We need your [people's] help. We need our friends in the media to help us. Strengthen our arms so we can help fight this disease," he added. The PPP chair further urged the federal government to review its policy not to impose a lockdown across the country, saying, "We all have to face this difficulty for 14 days".

Bilawal added that a delay would create more problems for the poor segment of the nation, referring to the prime minister's earlier address wherein he had said a countrywide coronavirus-related lockdown would increase problems for the poor.