PM issues stern warning to hoarders

ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday urged the nation not to panic from the spread of coronavirus and cooperate with the government to fight the pandemic by taking preventive measures.

In a televised address after reported cases of coronavirus grew rapidly in the country, the prime minister said, “this virus would spread in the country but the government would try to contain it. I fear that panic is being spread in the country.”

The prime minister asked the nation to help the government as it could not fight the challenge alone.

He said that, “we as a nation have to fight this war by taking some preventive measures, with the first precautionary step of avoiding large gatherings and even gatherings in confined spaces, as well as avoiding shaking hands, and contact with those coming from abroad, and not rushing for tests because having flu and cough does not necessarily mean that one is affected by coronavirus.”

The prime minister said that 90 percent of the people recover from coronavirus and only four to five require hospitalisation.

He said the government had also formed a coordination committee and an economic committee to assess the impact of the virus on exports and to suggest measures how the government could help exporters and businesses.

The prime minister said the government would also talk to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for providing relief to the affected sectors of the economy.

“We fear that hoarders would [try to] exploit the situation but I would like to warn them that the State would act to punish them,” he added.

The prime minister asked the nation not to fear in the face of the pandemic.

“We will fight and win against this challenge,” he vowed.

The prime minister said the government would provide equipment to medical staff and added that the government had activated the NDMA and ordered for ventilators for the four to five percent cases of coronavirus.

“I have also asked the embassies to help Pakistanis abroad,” he said, adding that he was fully aware of the difficulties faced by the students stuck in China and their families in Pakistan.

The prime minister also urged Ulema to create awareness among the people with regard to preventive measures.

He said that on January 15, the government decided to take action against coronavirus because by then it had spread in China, and people would come to Pakistan with the effects of virus.

He said this virus is a kind of flu, which spreads very rapidly but seven percent cases of coronavirus recover and 90 percent cases are with mild symptoms.

He said since the outbreak of coronavirus in China, Pakistan had been continuously engaged with the Chinese authorities.

He said in Iran the coronavirus outbreak began in Qom, and visiting Pakistani pilgrims were affected from the virus and those pilgrims were difficult to provide logistic at Taftan border, and congratulated Balochistan government, and army to quarantine them at the Taftan border.

The prime minister said the screening started at airports and so far 900,000 people have been screened.

He said the first case was reported in Pakistan on February 26, so the last week National Security Committee meeting was convened when 20 cases were reported.

The prime minister said the government was closely monitoring the response of various countries against the virus.

He said that different countries had adopted different approaches against the virus but Pakistan’s case was entirely different from the US’ and the European countries’ because over 20 percent people are living in extreme poverty. He said that a lockdown in Pakistan would lead to starvation of the poor.

He said a well thought-out approach was adopted and public events such as cricket matches were canceled and schools were closed down as lock down of cities may have saved the people from coronavirus but would have killed the poor from hunger.