The National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday decided to take a number of steps to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, including closing the border with Iran and Afghanistan and banning all large public gatherings.
The high-level NSC meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, was attended by the provincial chief ministers and the civilian and military leadership.
Major decisions taken by the NSC:
Border with Iran, Afghanistan to be closed for two weeks
Schools shut until April 5
Large public gatherings including weddings banned for two weeks
International flights to operate only from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad
Pakistan Day parade cancelled
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and other government officials detailed the decisions taken by the body at a press conference, with Mirza revealing that Pakistan now has 28 cases of COVID-19.
“There is a lot of speculation about the total number of cases in the country. However, I can confirm that Pakistan has 28 cases of coronavirus,” said Mirza, who was accompanied by government spokesperson Firdous Ashiq Awan and PM’s Special Assistant on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Moeed Yousuf.
Mirza announced that Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan and Iran will be closed “completely” for two weeks, following which the situation will be reviewed. During this period, the system for screening and preventing further infections from entering the country will be made stronger.
He said the first batch of pilgrims who have returned to the country from Iran has left for provinces after completing its 14-day quarantine period at the Taftan border. The details of these pilgrims will be provided to the provincial governments, which can test or place the pilgrims under quarantine again.
It was decided during the meeting that only three airports in the country — Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore — will be allowed to operate international flights, a move intended to reduce the entry points and ensure better arrangements there.
Mirza said all large public gatherings will be banned, including weddings and conferences, for a period of two weeks. Cinemas will also be closed while all remaining Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 matches will take place in empty stadiums.
The matter of whether religious public gatherings should be banned has been referred to the religious affairs minister and the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology. They have been tasked with consulting with all stakeholders and give their advice to the government based on which a decision will be taken, Mirza said.
It was decided to close all educational institutions in the country for three weeks. Education minister Shafqat Mehmood tweeted that schools will remain shut until April 5.
Mirza said the government will also request the chief justice to close civil courts and adjourn cases for a period of three weeks. Judicial magistrates and judges of sessions courts will be requested to decide criminal cases within jails while relatives of prisoners will not be able to meet them for three weeks in jails.
A media campaign will be started to brief the public regarding coronavirus prevention measures and a system will be established to prevent misinformation and relay facts to the people from a “central” source.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told DawnNewsTV that the 23rd March parade has also been cancelled.
Officials said foreign missions in Pakistan and Pakistan’s missions abroad have been directed not to host any ceremonies or functions. Similarly, large public gatherings will be discouraged.
The NSC decided to give the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) the lead role in dealing with the coronavirus threat, officials told DawnNewsTV, adding that the authority will coordinate with the provincial governments to streamline the efforts.
A system for coordination between the federal and provincial governments will also be established, the sources said.
‘Important decisions’
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan earlier in the day had said that “important decisions” for the protection of the people will be taken during a special meeting of the NSC regarding coronavirus.
“Our primary responsibility is the protection and well-being of Pakistanis,” she said, adding that measures to make the country safe from the effects of the virus will be taken.
Awan said the purpose of the meeting was to unite the entire country on the important issue of coronavirus and that the huddle is “part of national efforts to ensure harmony and contain coronavirus”.
So far 21 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country — 15 in Sindh, one in Balochistan and five in Gilgit Baltistan. The latest case was confirmed in Sindh earlier today in a 52-year-old patient who arrived in the province from Islamabad two days ago and tested positive on Friday.
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Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza had earlier told Dawn that Friday’s NSC meeting “may decide to impose a sort of emergency or indirect emergency in the country”.
An official of the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), requesting not to be named, said there was criticism that the prime minister was not playing a leading role over the issue.
“However, now the meeting of the most relevant body has been called to discuss the issue and it is expected that it will decide that the federal government will provide funds for controlling the virus.
“Last week, a summary was moved by Dr Mirza, seeking allocation of Rs670 million and the waiving off the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules so that personal protective equipment could be procured without any delay. However, the summary was rejected as the cabinet was of the view that the provinces should also contribute funds,” he had said.
