-Provinces oppose plan to resume Railways operations
-No consensus stance emerges to re-open educational institutions
-Overall plan to ease sectoral lockdown finalized
-Corona cases fast approaching 24,000 mark with 6,200 recoveries
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) will be held in Islamabad on today (Thursday) to take a final decision on easing lockdown restrictions in the country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC).
The meeting would be attended by chief ministers of all the provinces where a consensus would be developed on easing coronavirus lockdown country-wide.
The federal cabinet has already decided to further ease lockdown restrictions during Tuesday’s meeting.
Earlier on May 4, Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar said the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Coronavirus would decide about the future course of lockdown after analysis and observations to be presented by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). “More decisions are likely to be made regarding lockdown after May 9. Our resources to run the healthcare system are insufficient while a major reduction is also recorded in the education budget. On the other hand, the unemployment rate is increasing day by day, giving negative impacts on the national economy. Umar said that the economic experts have estimated for 18 million people to become jobless in the current scenario amid coronavirus crisis. The unemployment rate is directly linked with the duration of lockdown, he added. “In NCOC, we make decisions in view of the impacts on human life but not only focusing on healthcare arrangements.”NC
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) meeting on Wednesday rejected the proposal of Pakistan Railways’ to partially resume train service from May 10, media reported.
According to details, chief ministers of all four provinces have rejected the recommendation of resuming the train operation partially. The proposal was put forward by Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed in the NCOC meeting held in Islamabad with Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar in the chair. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has proposed multiple recommendations to ease lockdown restrictions in the country which were imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The recommendations include the opening of phase-II of the construction sector, reopening of retail outlets and operationalization of selective outpatient departments in Islamabad.
Sources said the provinces also rejected the proposals of resuming public transport and intercity bus service across the country. It was agreed in the meeting that shopping malls will remain closed across the country, while shops will remain open from 8 am to 5 pm.
The participants of the meeting also proposed the closure of all shops after Iftar. The meeting also decided to bring no change in the SOPs for the religious congregations in the second half of the holy month of Ramazan. The final decision on the proposals presented by the provinces will be taken in a meeting of NCC.
It may be noted that Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) tomorrow to take a final decision on easing lockdown restrictions in the country.
The meeting would be attended by chief ministers of all the provinces where a consensus would be developed on easing coronavirus lockdown country-wide.
Majority of provincial educational departments oppose the reopening of educational institutions in the country from June 1. During a meeting today, the education departments of Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh opposed the reopening of the institutions while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government supported the move. The meeting was presided by Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood. “The educational institutes should remain closed as the coronavirus cases may drastically increase,” the provinces said in the inter-provincial education ministers’ conference.
Due to the disagreement between the provinces, it was decided that matter would be tabled during the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) meeting.
All provincial ministers participated through video link. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) meeting on Wednesday rejected the proposal of Pakistan Railways’ to partially resume train service from May 10.
According to details, chief ministers of all four provinces have rejected the recommendation of resuming the train operation partially. The proposal was put forward by Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed in the NCOC meeting held in Islamabad with Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar in the chair. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has proposed multiple recommendations to ease lockdown restrictions in the country which were imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The recommendations include the opening of phase-II of the construction sector, reopening of retail outlets and operationalization of selective outpatient departments in Islamabad.
Sources said the provinces also rejected the proposals of resuming public transport and intercity bus service across the country. It was agreed in the meeting that shopping malls will remain closed across the country, while shops will remain open from 8 am to 5 pm. The participants of the meeting also proposed the closure of all shops after Iftar. The meeting also decided to bring no change in the SOPs for the religious congregations in the second half of the holy month of Ramazan. The final decision on the proposals presented by the provinces will be taken in a meeting of NCC. It may be noted that Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) tomorrow to take a final decision on easing lockdown restrictions in the country.
The meeting would be attended by chief ministers of all the provinces where a consensus would be developed on easing coronavirus lockdown country-wide. Pakistan has reported 40 more fatalities from novel coronavirus as the death toll in the country has reached 526, media reported on Wednesday. The nationwide tally of COVID-19 patients jumped to 22,550 while 1,049 cases were reported in 24 hours.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center, Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Till now 8,420 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Punjab, 8,189 in Sindh, 3,499 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,495 in Balochistan, 485 in Islamabad, 386 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 76 in Azad Kashmir.
Number of patients recovered from Coronavirus is 6,217 now. Prime Minister Imran Khan said the coronavirus lockdown will be further relaxed in the coming days as standard operating procedures (SOPs) based on precautionary measures have been prepared for all sectors. While addressing a parliamentary party meeting, the premier stressed that the federal government is taking steps to provide relief to all classes because it is the need of the hour to serve the nation by keeping aside political differences. “It is the best time for all the public representatives to serve people. Benefits of reduction in petroleum prices must be provided to all, therefore, assembly members should keep a check on rates with the help of administration.
