No going back to another lockdown: PM

Imran seeks Tiger Force’s help in spreading Covid-19 awareness to curb cases

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday ruled out the imposition of another lockdown in the country amid the coronavirus cases and deaths witnessing a sharp spike in recent days after the easing of restrictions with the nationwide tally of infections surging past 90,000 and the fatalities toll exceeding 1,800.

“Pakistan cannot go back to another lockdown. We can’t afford it,” the premier said in a televised address to the Corona Relief Tiger Force. “That’s why we need you [Tiger Force] to spread awareness [about Covid-19 precautionary measures],” he added.

The prime minister maintained that if the force succeeded in convincing citizens into following Covid-19 guidelines, the rate at which the infection was spreading would slow down.

“Coronavirus will spread. You can’t stop it from spreading,” he said, adding that the lockdowns across the world had only exacerbated conditions for the poor.

The premier noted that the lockdown in the US had forced its residents to line up in queues for food. India, he observed, had opted for a strict lockdown, and now the poor there were paying the price for that. “Poverty has increased in India. The migrant workers there are dying of hunger and forced to walk as there is no public transport.”

PM Imran said the Tiger Force would help the authorities in identifying places where SOPs were not being followed. Besides, he added, the force would also monitor Utility Stores and help the administration in identifying hoarders.

The volunteer force will now be provided with identification cards so that its members could reach areas which have been sealed off because of virus cases and distribute food there.

The prime minister also defended the government’s decision to keep mosques open, maintaining that no virus cases were traced back to them.

“We were the first Muslim country which said we will not close our mosques and carry on Taraweeh prayers,” he said.

“I am thankful to the Ulema who supported us. There was no outbreak of coronavirus from mosques during Ramazan and now other Muslim countries are also opening their mosques.”

The premier said besides assisting in dealing with the pandemic, the government also needed the Tiger Force to help the government in combating the ongoing locust invasion and climate change.

He noted that a locust invasion could lead to famine and so the volunteer force would be required to assist the administration in the affected areas.

The prime minister further said he wanted the force to participate in the government's Clean and Green Pakistan Campaign under which 10 billion trees would be planted.

He pointed out that the country faced a major threat from climate change and 80% of the water in its rivers came from glaciers. He added that receding water level in the rivers would create difficulties for the coming generations.