Governor Sarwar stresses joint efforts to fight Covid-19

LAHORE:Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has called upon the intelligentsia and scholars to play their role in creating awareness on pitfalls of coronavirus pandemic in the province.

During a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Ahmad Khan Bhachar at the Governor House here on Tuesday, he said that failure to wear masks and adopt other standard operating procedures (SOPs) put people’s lives at risk, adding that coronavirus had spread in every nook and cranny today and it was our collective responsibility to practise restraint in the face of a deadly virus.

The governor said that the country was passing through the most difficult times due to the coronavirus pandemic, urging public, and political and religious parties to play their role in containing the virus.

Ch Sarwar said those who violated the SOPs had become dangerous for society, adding that corona was infecting those who did not adopt precautions. He said it was a person’s decision whether he wanted to avoid coronavirus or become a victim of it, adding that only those who followed the SOPs would stay safe.

COVID-19 pandemic was a gigantic challenge and the 220 million Pakistanis will have to come forward and support the government to fight the economic as well as health hazards, Ch Sarwar urged.

IG: Inspector General Police Punjab directed the regional and district police officers to expedite the operations against violations of Covid-19 SOPs.

Addressing the officers at a meeting held at Central Police Office here Tuesday, he stressed that a report on police operations should be sent to the Central Police Office on daily basis. He directed that officers should ensure that the precautionary measures against corona virus were implemented in letter and spirit.

IG was briefed that during the ongoing operation started from 6th June, a total of 109,583 shops were checked and 12,387 were sealed. Around 139,858 motorcycles, 45,684 vehicles and 27,443 public transport vehicles were checked, 51,410 were fined by the civil administration for violating the instructions. Similarly, regarding the observance of SOPs, 178,733 citizens were checked, 9,541 were fined by the civil administration.

college staff salaries: University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore’s Teaching Staff Association (UET-TSA) has demanded the Punjab government take up the responsibility of Rachna College of Engineering and Technology, Gujranwala, as the university is unable to look after the campus because of its own financial crisis. In a statement, UET-TSA president Dr Fahim Gohar Awan said that UET was already suffering from severe financial crisis while it had also been bearing the financial burden of Rachna College of Engineering and Technology, Gujranwala. “We can't do it anymore,” he said while reminding the Punjab government its promise of giving funds to UET for this purpose.