Sindh govt imposes province-wide lockdown from midnight

KARACHI: The Sindh government has imposed a province-wide lockdown for 15 days in order to contain the spread of COVID-19, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Lockdown in Sindh will be imposed from midnight, announced Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

People will not be allowed to venture out of their homes unnecessarily under lockdown,” he said, adding that only three persons will be allowed to travel in a car.

Murad Ali Shah said that shops dealing in medicine, vegetables and general stores will remain open during the period.

In an earlier statement issued after a Sindh task force meeting, CM Murad said that he had left with no option except imposing lockdown across the province.

The Sindh government also sought the Pakistan Army’s help to deal with the deadly virus.

In a letter to the Ministry of Interior, the Sindh government requested to deploy armed forces in aid to the civil power in the province under Article 245 of the constitution.

PM Imran urges people to self-quarantine

Prime Minister  Imran Khan in his address to the nation has said that a lockdown is not being considered as 25% population of Pakistan is below the poverty line who cannot survive if a 14-day closure of the country occurs.

Detailing the lockdown, curfew situation, the premier said that the situation requires armed forces and other security personnel patrolling streets, roadways and alleyways and forceful isolation of the masses which he does not want.

The premier said that people should self-isolate and self-quarantine, act responsibly rather than taking the coronavirus seriously.

Read More: Federal Govt can’t remain isolated from provincial decisions, mulling strategy: FM Qureshi

PM Imran Khan stressed on the need for social distancing and said that the government is trying to instil that sense of responsibility into the nation so that within the country’s extremely limited resources, those really worthy and in need of coronavirus tests and hospitals may access them.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also said that there shouldn’t be panic among the masses, the country has enough agricultural reserves and should not fret over possible civil unrest or food shortages.

It must be noted that the total number of novel coronavirus cases in Pakistan rose to 644 after new COVID-19 cases were reported from all provinces.

According to the latest statistics released by the government, 292 cases of coronavirus were reported from Sindh, 152 from Punjab, 103 from Balochistan, 31 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 from Islamabad, 55 from Gilgit-Baltistan and one case of coronavirus was reported from Azad Kashmir.

Three virus-related deaths have been reported in the country so far, two of them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Karachi. Whereas, five patients have been released from hospital after full recovery.