Prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the nationwide lockdown will be further eased with more industries and businesses allowed to resume operations under necessary SOPs.
The decision, he said, was based on the virus situation in the country which is still stable compared to Europe, US, and other developed countries.
The PM gave examples of Iran and Egypt that too had chosen to reopen economy while keeping public gatherings restricted.
The premier shared that he had discussed the virus measures with Iranian and Egyptian leaderships while exchanging data and information for more informed decisions.
He said that Pakistan’s virus statistics were much similar to Egypt’s which also had chosen to not let people die from starvation by opening all businesses.
PM Imran stated that since no one knew how long the virus could last, it’s imperative that citizens maintain social distancing and follow preventive measures to keep the pandemic under control.
“The outbreak can go further for six months or a year, or its spike can hit again,” he feared, urging people to show responsibility during these testing times.
Saying that he was aware of the miseries that the poor laborers and daily-wagers were going through amid the lockdown, Imran Khan informed that his government will announce a new program for them on Saturday.
“Under the program, for every 1 rupee donated to the PM corona fund, the government will add 4 rupees,” he elaborated.
He informed that the government would use, SMS campaign, Nadra records, and Tiger Force to reach daily wage earners, cart vendors, and laborers who have become jobless due to the lockdown to extend the financial support.
