Pak Army deployed in cities with 16pc Covid positivity rate: DG ISPR
- By Web Desk -
- Apr 26, 2021
RAWALPINDI: Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar on Monday confirmed the deployment of Pakistan Army troops in 16 cities of the country to ensure compliance with the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), ARY News reported.
While addressing an important press conference on the coronavirus situation in Pakistan, the DG ISPR said that the army has been deployed in cities where the rate of coronavirus positivity has exceeded 16 per cent.
” Army was deployed in Covid hit cities on request of Interior Ministry under Article 245 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” said the head of the military’s media wing.
The cities included Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan, Hyderabad and others, where the positivity rate has reached “dangerous” levels, he said during a press briefing.
“To help the civil government and assist law enforcement agencies is the primary purpose of deployment of troops in wake of Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
The DG ISPR revealed that 4,300 coronavirus patients were on critical care at the moment, adding that the Covid-19 fatality rate has reached 2.16 per cent for the first time in the country since the start of the pandemic.
“In some cities, 90% of the ventilators in hospitals are occupied,” he said.
The DG ISPR further said the Pakistan Army will not claim any kind of internal security allowance for its services in containing the contagion.
He called for collective responsibilities of observing Standard Operating procedures like wearing a face mask and maintaining social distance to avoid the spread of the virus.
He called for collective responsibilities of observing Standard Operating procedures like wearing a face mask and maintaining social distance to avoid the spread of the virus.
The confirmation came a day after the federal government announced the deployment of armed forces in all provinces and regions of the country, with the exception of Sindh, to ensure compliance with the Covid-19 SOPs.