Traders’ carelessness in eased lockdown can be disastrous, warns Chaudhry Sarwar

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mihammad Sarwar has said irresponsible attitude of the trader community in particular and general public at large in the wake of easing of lockdown may land the whole nation in a disastrous situation. He acknowledged that the middle and labour class was largely affected by the corona pandemic crisis.

Addressing a ceremony organised in honour of social workers serving during the pandemic crisis on frontlines and later talking to the reporters at Governor’s House on Sunday, he said that coronavirus infection had become a global issue and those fighting the battle for the cause of humanity deserve salutes of the whole nation.

Sarwar Foundation Chairperson Begum Perveen Sarwar Akhuwat Chairman Dr Amjad Saqib and other philanthropists were also present on the occasion. The Punjab governor announced that he would complete his target of providing ration to over a million poor families ahead of Eidul Fitr.

Besides the fast spreading dreadful corona infection, the the government is facing yet another crisis of provision of food to all those who had no resources to earn their livelihood in the wake of the ongoing crisis, he said.

Hunger is posing yet another dilemma as it might toll heavily if businesses are not allowed to open, he said. Considering all ground realities, including economic hardships, the government devised a policy to combat corona and simultaneously launched financial assistance programme.

The governor said over Rs100 billion had so far been distributed among the needy people to mitigate the economic hardships of poor families and those who lost jobs during the current economic meltdown. He said that the government is continuously trying to facilitate every person in need according to its available resources and added public support in fight against corona through safety measures would help the nation to defeat the coronavirus.

Chaudhry Sarwar said that he had earlier set a target to provide ration to some 750,000 poor and vulnerable families through the Punjab Development Network but enhanced the target to reach out one million families. “We will complete this target during Ramazan” the governor announced and said that the government would continue supporting the vulnerable families till the corona pandemic subsides and life returned to normalcy.