If asked, would not have allowed lockdown: PM.

ISLAMABAD -- As the death toll of Covid-19 patients crossed the 3,600 mark in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday reiterated that lockdown was not the solution to the pandemic, saying that if provinces had consulted him earlier there would have been no `strict` lockdown in the first place.

The prime minister said this while addressing a launching ceremony of three initiatives all aimed at facilitating and empowering welfare organisations and enabling them to play a more coordinated role with the government in responding to the Covid-19 situation.

`The lockdown has created an unprecedented situation. If provinces had consulted me, I would have not allowed a lockdown. Panic was created that the virus will spread the way it had in Europe and Wuhan. Our circumstances are different, but a strict lockdown was imposed regardless,` he regretted.

He said the Covid-19 situation in Pakistan was still better than neighbouring India, US and European countries because the government had timelylaunched Ehsaas cash distribution programme for poor families affected by the coronavirus (under which Rs12,000 stipend was given to 12 million families).

`Next month is difficult in which smart lockdowns will be imposed and SOPs will be strictly followed to save our aged and those vulnerable people who are already suffering from ailments like heart diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure,` the prime minister said. `If weare able to save these vulnerable people, there will be less effect of coronavirus in the country,` he added.

The prime minister revealed that under PM`s Covid-19 Fund, more than 16m families would be provided monetary assistance.

`Those who had not been covered under Ehsaas cash programme, like workers and daily wage earners, they will be given cash under the PM`s Fund,` he added.

Talking about the government`s future strategy in the backdrop of Covid-19, the prime minister said: `The government`s next year challenge is how to con-tinue businesses and enforce SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).

`For this we are going to launch a media campaign and will mobilise Tiger Force to provide awareness about SOPs specially in hotspots,` he added.

Three initiatives launched Earlier, Special Assistant to the PM on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar briefed the prime minister about three initiatives. Federal Minister for Information, Shibli Faraz and SAPM Asim Bajwa were preset during the briefing. Federal secretarles and heads of...