LAHORE: Controlling the spread of coronavirus pandemic in the country and helping the poor are two biggest challenges Pakistan is facing at this crucial hour of history, said Prime Minister Imran Khan here on Saturday.
The premier was addressing a ceremony on PM’s Coronavirus Relief Fund at Punjab Governor’s House in Lahore on Saturday.
“These are testing times and we have to stand united to fight this,” he remarked. People who consider difficult times as a test of Allah are the only ones who can overcome it, he said. “This is the nation’s test and no one has any experience on how to deal with this,” the PM added.
Pakistan is already a poverty-struck country and most people here didn’t have enough money to eat food twice a day. “Poverty along with coronavirus has proven to be a big challenge for us,” PM Khan said.
The lockdown has affected the daily wagers the most as they have lost their jobs. Keeping in mind their plight, we decided to open the construction industry so that some people can keep their jobs, he remarked. “Every day, we are thinking about which industries can we open and which should be close just for the betterment of the people.”
The fight against COVID-19 is going to be a long one, he said. “I request people to stop disseminating misinformation. Coronavirus will not spare anyone,” the premier added.
We have to discipline ourselves and exercise caution that’s the only one to control the virus, he remarked.
Lockdowns are only successful if people have access to food. In Wuhan, the lockdown was successful because people there had food to eat at all times, he said. “We have to think about people who don’t have any food.”
Read more: Pakistan faces dilemma of starvation amid lockdown: PM Imran
