PM lauds ‘lowest unemployment rate’ in South Asia

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday congratulated his team for effectively handling the Covid-19 pandemic in a way that led to the country’s ‘lowest unemployment rate in South Asia’, according to a survey.

“I want to congratulate my government for the way we handled the Covid-19 pandemic – better than all the countries in South Asia,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

The tweet came in response to a survey conducted by South Asia Index based on the World Bank data that showed that Pakistan outranked other South Asian countries with the lowest unemployment rates.

The survey showed the unemployed population of Pakistan at the rate of 4.3 per cent compared with India (8%), Maldives (6.3%), Bangladesh (5.4%), Sri Lanka (5.9%), Bhutan (5%), and Nepal (4.7%).

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Earlier today, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) data showed that the country reported zero deaths during the last 24 hours for the first time in two years since the pandemic started.

As per NCOC, out of the 34,476 tests that were conducted, 443 new cases were diagnosed. Reportedly, 455 patients are still being treated in ICU.

Also read: NCOC lifts all Covid-induced curbs

Last week, NCOC announced lifting all Covid-19 restrictions imposed across Pakistan. NCOC chief Asad Umar, also the Federal Minister for Planning and Development, made the announcement during a news briefing.

"The vaccination mandate will remain in place, because the coronavirus is not over yet,” he said, adding that lifting the ban may increase the number of cases but the government could take required action again.