Shoaib urges govt to enforce curfew in Pakistan amid virus surge

Akhtar said that saving human lives is more important than cricket.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – In wake of the rapid surge in coronavirus cases across the country, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Monday urged the government to enforce curfew in Pakistan.

“Pakistan is right on the edge, there is only 10 percent oxygen capacity left. People are not following SOPs. I request the government to enforce curfew for the last 10-15 days [of Ramadan]. There is no need to go out for Eid shopping. People need to very careful and take care of themselves,” Akhtar said in a video on his YouTube channel.

“We don t need cricket, heroes and entertainment at the moment. We want to save lives in India and Pakistan. I m using these strong words because human lives are at stake," he added.

The former pacer also believes that the ongoing Indian Premier League and upcoming Pakistan Super League should be postponed due to the alarming situation, in India and Pakistan, due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Akhtar said that saving human lives is more important than cricket.

"India is facing a devastating situation. They need to stop the IPL if it can t continue without strict SOPs in place but otherwise, considering that India is burning, it needs to be postponed. I m not saying this because PSL was postponed. I also think PSL shouldn t take place in June," said Akhtar.

"IPL is not important and the money spent on it can be better used to buy oxygen tanks. That can save people from dying," he added.

Shoaib Akhtar urged help from Pakistan’s government and fans to help India deal with the second wave of the Covid-19 virus. Akhtar said global support is needed to help India in such a health crisis.

“It is impossible for any government to tackle the ongoing crisis. I appeal to my government and fans, to help India. India does need a lot of oxygen tanks. I request everyone to donate and raise funds for India and deliver oxygen tanks to them,” he said.