ISLAMABAD, Mar 20 (DNA): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday asked that
during the prevailing coronavirus situation in Pakistan, what the poor
working class would do if the initiative is taken to lockdown the
country.

Talking to senior journalists in Islamabad on Friday, he urged the
nation to adopt social distancing as a precautionary measure against the
threat of coronavirus pandemic.

The prime minister said that it is very important that people who show
symptoms of coronavirus must self-quarantine them. He said the people
should also limit their social gatherings for the next one or two
months.

Imran Khan said the situation is being monitored and tracked on daily
basis to gauge its impacts.

He said experiences of various countries,
especially China, will be utilized to tackle the menace of coronavirus,
adding that the government is fully alert and vibrant to the threat and
it has been decided that all federal ministers will be available in
Islamabad during this crisis and there will not be any leave of them.

He said he will update the people about the coronavirus situation twice
a week. He said no information will be withheld from people, so that
prompt action can be taken.

Dispelling the negative impression created by some media channels on
steps taken by federal government in the wake of coronavirus, the Prime
Minister said the government was in constant contact with the Chinese
government when the cases of virus first emerged in their country.

Later, when the cases were traced in Iran, we also started communicating
with Tehran regarding the situation.

He said Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza visited Taftan area
to witness the situation first-hand. As a result, a lot of measures were
adopted for better screening of patients of coronavirus in collaboration
with army and civilian authorities. He said it is not right to blame
anyone in this crisis.

The prime minister urged the international community to lift sanctions
from Iran as they are dealing with this situation despite having limited
resources and medical facilities.

Imran Khan said if the cases spike in Pakistan, four to five percent
people may need hospitalization which will put a strain on available
medical resources. He said even in advanced countries like Italy, the
situation is becoming critical due to shortage of medical supplies.

He said role of media is very important in this situation as
sensationalism could lead to panic that might make the situation worse.
He referred to the example of panic in some Western countries where
people are rushing towards grocery stores and emptying the shelves of
stuff.

PM Khan said we have to strike balance between gathering of people and
the safety of their livelihoods. He said we are going to provide
incentives to construction industry to create employment opportunities.
He said we want people to exercise discipline, rather than lock downing
the whole cities.

Imran Khan said work is underway on creating a financial package that
will be announced on Tuesday next. He said all stakeholders, including
State Bank of Pakistan, Ministry of Finance and FBR are involved in the
preparation of this package to provide incentives.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services said
it has been decided to disseminate verified data about Corona affected
people. Interacting with senior journalists in Islamabad this evening,
he said an update will be shared with the provinces on daily basis.

He underscored the vital and responsible role of the media in creating
awareness and preventing panic among masses. He urged media not to share
personal data of patients.

Speaking on the occasion, Advisor on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh
said the government is working on a joint strategy to bring a stimulus
package for the areas of economy being hurt due to coronavirus.

He said the economic indicators of the country were showing progress
before the eruption of coronavirus.

He said as the global economy is
slowing down due to the global pandemic, our exports are also likely to
be impacted. It could also reduce the foreign remittances received by
the country, besides plummeting the job creation opportunities.

Hafeez Shaikh said a survey is being conducted to understand
which industries are hurting the most in this crisis. He said as part of
stimulus measures, taxes will be reduced on certain products while
subsidies will be given on others.

The Advisor said every effort will be made that relief worth 280 billion
rupees to farmers is not disturbed.

He said disbursements under Ehsaas
program will be accelerated so that vulnerable segments of the society
are not impacted by the corona threat. DNA

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