Pakistan witnesses decline in COVID-19 cases: Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said that Pakistan has witnessed a decline in the COVID-19 cases, ARY NEWS reported.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan devised a strategy to cope up with the COVID-19 situation keeping in view the country’s ground realities,” he said while addressing a presser to brief on cabinet meeting chaired by the premier.

The federal information minister said that the strategy had proved successful and Pakistan remained less affected by the virus than any other country globally.

He also lauded the role of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and said that the country developed infrastructure to deal with COVID-19 on emergency basis and they have improved the number of testing labs to 129 from only two when the pandemic hit the country.

Shibli Faraz said that the virus cases had witnessed a surge after Eid ul Fitr and if precautionary measures were not adopted then it could see another rising trend after Eid-ul-Adha.

Even the prime minister has decided to celebrate upcoming Eid at home, he said and urged the masses to adopt it and avoid unnecessary outing during Eid-ul-Adha.

While lauding the adviser to PM on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, he said that the government presented a tax-free budget despite financial losses.

He said that the prime minister has directed Sania Nishtar to launch the second phase of the Ehsaas programme.

Pilots Issue 

Speaking over pilots’ issue, he said that 28 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots have been terminated from the service over dubious licenses and blamed that these recruitments were made during the PPP and PML-N era.

“We have already grounded all pilots who have dubious licenses,” he said vowed to take stern action against all PIA and CAA officials found guilty in the license matter.

Sugar Inquiry report 

He said that the cabinet was also briefed over the sugar inquiry report and the commerce minister informed that they have devised sugar reforms that would help in ensuring the supply of the commodity at lower prices.

A negative role of the competitive commission has emerged during the sugar and other crisis and we have decided to bring forward new people to make it more effective, he said.

The cabinet also discussed over change in the money laundering law to make it more effective.