Pakistan not heading for coronavirus lockdown: Firdous Ashiq Awan

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Friday the country is not in a position to go into a complete lockdown due to coronavirus.

“We are not heading for a complete lockdown at this moment,” she stated in clear terms while speaking to ARY News.

Ms Awan said Pakistan’s economy is fragile as our economic health is not like that of European countries and China that imposed a lockdown owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The SAPM said Prime Minister Imran Khan had already clarified that the country’s economic condition is different and that a complete lockdown in the country would have the people face the issues of food and job insecurity.

Daily wage earners won’t be able to bear the brunt of the lockdown, she maintained.

Ms Awan said the government would update the people about the coronavirus situation on a daily basis.

She said a strategy has been worked out to tackle the virus threat. She added the prime minister will roll out a financial package in the wake of the economic slowdown owing to the pandemic on Tuesday.