Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Information Minister Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said that a decision regarding the lockdown after May 9 will be taken after a meeting of the National Command and Control Centre scheduled for today.
Briefing media in Islamabad on decisions made by the cabinet meeting, he said: “Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar informed the meeting of the country’s coronavirus situation and indicated that a meeting of the NCOC will take place Tuesday which will be attended by the chief ministers of all the provinces.
“They will sit down and build consensus for a unified policy regarding easing the lockdown. By this time tomorrow, whatever their recommendations are, will be with us.”
The cabinet meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, agreed to further ease lockdown restrictions. It was also decided that the prime minister and his cabinet members, including all federal ministers, the premier’s advisers and special assistants will donate their one month’s salary to the PM’s Corona Relief Fund.
The cabinet allowed export of hand sanitizers made in the country. Shibli Faraz said Planning Minister Asad Umar gave a comprehensive presentation to the cabinet regarding Covid-19 situation in the country.
The minister said relaxation in lockdown will still require that people take precautions. He said war against corona pandemic can be won only by staying at homes.
The information minister said the prime minister wants election process to be transparent and trusted by people. To ensure this end, Law Ministry has been directed to prepare a report on holding of elections on transparency. The prime minister directed the Ministry of Interior to take steps to improve the situation of police stations. Shibli went on to say that the cabinet deliberated on the issue of ban on import of goods from India, except life-saving drugs, adding that Imran directed to make sure that there is no violation of this ban.
The forum also accorded approval to reconstitution of National Commission for Minorities. Information Minister Shibli Faraz urged the opposition to focus on tackling the coronavirus outbreak instead of holding press conferences criticising the federal government.
Responding to a question from a reporter, he said: “The pandemic effects all of us. It doesn’t affect one particular party or government.” The minister was referring to a press conference held by PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb a day prior. “You should ask this question from the opposition; when they make such claims we have to respond. Not responding means we are admitting that what they are saying is correct,” he said.
He said that former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N supremo Nawaz Sharif should return as the country is going through tough time.He said that Leader of Opposition in National Assembly and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif has returned to Pakistan but so far he has seen him in front of the laptop.
He admitted that unfortunately the reality is that prices are increased during the month of Ramazan but the government is taking steps to control inflation.
Taking a jibe at the Sindh government, the minister said that the provincial ministers were only holding press conferences instead of working, adding that the condition of Sindh and Larkana was better 50 years ago as compared to today.
Talking about the post lockdown strategy he said: “The prime minister’s focus from day one was on the people who are [financially] vulnerable — the daily wagers.”
“Whenever the lockdown eases, people should follow the SOPs and safety measures because we cannot afford a relapse of the pandemic,” he said.
“China was able to stem the spread of the virus because the political system of the country is different, we cannot apply the same strategy here,” Faraz said.
“Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar had informed the cabinet that nearly eight million families were being provided financial aid” under the Ehsaas Programme, Faraz added.
