Covid-19 lockdown: CM Murad says Sindh to take its own decision if NCOC rejects its recommendation

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Thursday that the government of Sindh will take its own decision if National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) reject its recommendation to suspend inter-provincial transport, ARY News reported.

Sindh government would have to take action by itself if NCOC failed to heed its suggestion to close inter-provincial transport to curb rising COVID-19 cases, said Murad while addressing an event here in Karachi.

CM Murad said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has his own thinking over lockdown policy, adding that his recommendation of a ban on inter-provincial transport was not rejected by NCOC yet.

The Sindh chief minister underlined that the PPP-led provincial government had recommended shutting down inter-provincial transport for some time.

Read More: NCOC to mull over suspension of inter-provincial transport, Centre assures Sindh

Speaking on coronavirus vaccination, Murad Ali Shah said that he has not received Covid-jab yet. “I will follow the registration process for getting coronavirus vaccine,” he added.

Keeping in view the recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the country amid the third wave of the disease, the Sindh government had suggested the federal government to suspend inter-provincial transport for two weeks.

Read More: Covid third wave: Public transport banned in 9 Punjab cities including Lahore

The Sindh government had asked the Centre to suspend the inter-provincial transport from 1st of April to 14th of April.

Sources said that the federal government had assured the provincial government that the proposal will be discussed during the next meeting of the NCOC.

Pakistan covid-19 cases

Coronavirus has claimed 98 more lives in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 14,530.

The latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed the COVID-19 has claimed 98 more lives and 4,974 fresh infections were reported during the period.

During the period of a day, the total count of active cases was recorded at 53,127 and the positivity rate stood at 9.93 per cent.