PM Imran Khan opposes lockdown, says it will ruin economy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that they would not impose lockdown at any cost in the country as it would ruin the economy, ARY NEWS reported.

The prime minister said this during live interaction with the public on the telephone.

“Look at the cost Indian government had to pay after they abruptly imposed a lockdown, leading their economy to sink down,” he said and added that on the contrary, Pakistan imposed restrictions in specific areas, creating a balance between the economy and COVID-19 SOPs.

He said that the Sindh government wanted to impose a complete lockdown after the new wave of COVID-19 and it was a good decision in order to minimize the impact of the spread of the Indian variant of the virus.

He, however, said that they had to look to the other side of it also to see if they would save their economy from these harsh restrictions.

“How will daily-wagers, taxi drivers, and other labourers will survive,” he said adding that the Indian government did the same when it enforced lockdown considering only regarding rich and leaving behind the poor.

We should know that any decision to impose lockdown in Sindh will increase hunger, the prime minister said and added that they should take steps aimed at balancing between stemming COVID-19 spread and running economy.

PM Imran Khan said that the only way forward for them is to vaccinate people in large numbers and as soon as possible. “Our government is taking measures to ensure that there is no shortage of vaccination in the country,” he said.

Read More: ‘DON’T POLITICISE COVID RESPONSE’: MINISTER HITS OUT AT BILAWAL DEFENDING SINDH LOCKDOWN

He said that Pakistan was suffering from the fourth wave of the COVID-19. “It is India’s Delta variant that has hit the country and spreads more than any other variant of the infection,” he said.

The premier said that even the World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked Pakistan among the top three countries that dealt with COVID-19 in a better way.

“It happened because the NCOC took decisions based on scientific analysis along with the support extended by people of the country,” he said and also lauded clerics saying that it was owing to their support that Pakistan emerged as the only country globally where mosques were not shut during the pandemic.

Noor Mukadam murder case 

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he has been monitoring Noor Mukadam’s horrific murder case since day one and underscored that despite the dual nationality of the alleged Zahir Jaffer, there’s no way he can flee the justice here.

spoke about the horrifying case of Islamabad where the daughter of an ex-ambassador was tortured and beheaded allegedly by high profile business tycoon Jaffer.

Just because of the fact that he belongs to an elite family or holds dual nationality doesn’t mean he can get away with this, PM reassured people and added he has been updating himself with the case developments regularly.

Going forward on the grim crimes committed against women, he said the case of Afghan Ambassador daughter’s alleged abduction he has monitored just as intently as if she was his daughter.

No matter how powerful the killer is or high profile, they will be punished according to the law, the premier said alluding to the Noor Mukadam case late last month.

We put the state machinery to the right use and strategize the probe for two days as the event transpired before guards and butlers of the house as bearing witnesses.