COVID-19 mortality rate rising alarmingly: PM Imran
He said economic conditions might deteriorate if people didnt practice precautionary measures.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the mortality rate due to second wave of COVID-19 is increasing alarmingly across the country.
Talking to media in Lahore on Wednesday, the prime minister expressed fear that the pressure on doctors and nurses will increase, adding that the pressure on hospitals would also increase if Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are not followed.
Imran Khan said that the economic conditions might deteriorate if nation didn’t adhere to precautionary measures to prevent spread of Covid-19. He urged the people to act responsibly and wear masks amid the second coronavirus wave. “Pakistan will avoid closing down factories so the economy continues to recover,” he said.
The prime minister appealed the nation to strictly adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and precautionary measures to prevent spread of Covid-19 pandemic. “With the blessing of Almighty Allah, the nation not only successfully overcame economic problems, but also contained spread of the Coronavirus during the first wave of the pandemic,” he said.
PM Imran went on to say that all this happened due to the complete support from the people, especially, Ulema, adding that Pakistan was the only Muslim country in the world, which did not close its mosques as Ulema played a pivotal role in observing SOPs in mosques. He urged people to make it mandatory for themselves to wear face mask, which is the easiest way to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
The premier further said the government has decided not to close factories and other sources of earning in order to save people s lives from COVID-19 and the hunger. “Today Faisalabad s textile industry is running with full capacity and contributing in enhancing Pakistan s exports,” he said.
Responding to a question, Imran Khan said we have postponed our public rallies to avoid spread of the contagion, adding the government will not allow anyone, including the opposition, to endanger people s lives by holding public rallies. “They will not get any NRO by organizing mass gatherings and they should refrain from jeopardizing people s lives,” he added.
Imran Khan said currently, Pakistan’s exports were better than those of India and Bangladesh. Faisalabad’s textile industry was running at full capacity and even fell short of the labor, he added. The prime minister, in response to a question about the recognition of Israel, said Pakistan did not face any international pressure on the issue and still stood at the position taken by the Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1948. It may be mentioned here that the Quaid-e-Azam had stated in 1948 that Pakistan would never recognize Israel until Palestinians were given their right of a just settlement.
Speaking on the country’s foreign policy, Imran Khan said owing to the present government’s successful foreign policy initiatives, being appreciated at the world level, Pakistan’s acceptance had significantly increased internationally. He in that respect also referred to the country’s historic successful diplomatic initiatives such as exposing India at the world level, positive role in the Afghan peace process, and improved relations with Afghanistan.
The prime minister said Pakistan, which was asked to “do more” in the past, was now being appreciated by the world, including the United States for its positive role for achieving peace in the region, including Afghanistan. Pakistan enjoyed goods relations with Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he added.
To another question, Imran Khan described the overseas Pakistanis as the country’s assets and hoped that they would invest in the two mega development projects of Ravi City, Lahore and Bundle Island, Karachi. He said the government had launched a crackdown against land grabbers in Lahore, which had the backing of some political parties in the past. “You will soon hear the cries of Qabza Mafia in Lahore,” he remarked. The prime minister said the government would soon take a big action against land grabbers and land encroachers in Lahore.
To a question about price-hike, he explained how mafias and cartels had manipulated the situation to make money out of the shortage and low produce of the commodities, particularly wheat, caused by untimely rains and bad weather over the last two years due to climate change. He, however, mentioned that owing to the government’s effective measures including the import of sugar and wheat, prices of the two vital commodities (wheat and sugar) had witnessed decline.
About the country’s economic situation, the prime minister said with all major economic indicators showing positive trends, Pakistan’s economy was growing fast in the Sub-continent and was on the right path. He said the current account deficit, which was at US $ 20 billion when the present government came into power, had been recorded in surplus for the first time in 17 years. Similarly, he said, as the country’s exports were rising, the government had also curbed the huge trade deficit of US $ 40 billion.
To a question, Imran Khan said the Ravi Urban Development and Bundal Islanad were two crucial projects to stop the haphazard spread of Lahore and Karachi respectively. The cities like Lahore would face severe problems of water, sewerage and pollution if the government did not establish new ones, he added. He said Lahore had spread one-and-half times in just 20 years with fast depleting water table, and 70pc green cover vanished.
Even if the government did not execute the Ravi Urban projects, the Lahore city would touch that project area but in a haphazard way without any planning and further polluting the River Ravi, he added.
The prime minister said the major objective was to protect Karachi and Lahore as the said projects would go vertical. He said if the cities continued growing with the current pace, the green cover would reduce to bring food insecurity. Water treatment plants would be set up for water storage, which would also help recharge the ground water, besides stopping the flow of sewage water into the river, he added.
He said the Bundal Island would be developed as modern city to protect mangroves forest, treat the sewerage water and protect Karachi from ill-planned growth. Besides the development, both the projects would also bring in the foreign exchange as the overseas Pakistanis were eying to invest in them, which would also beget job opportunities, he added.
Imran Munir of the Ravi Urban Development Authority told the media that barrages would be developed for retaining the water to help recharge water table and protect Lahore against floods. An eco-city would be developed for forestation over the leftover forest land, besides developing a sewage treatment plant to clean water as well as benefit the surrounding population, he added.
