Imran defends stance on complete lockdown July difficult for dealing with pandemic.

Islamabad -- Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again defended his decision not to impose a complete lockdown in the country despite strong criticism, saying that Pakistan's circumstances were different from Wuhan city and Europe.

Speaking about the havoc that the coronavirus has wreaked on Pakistan's economy, the prime minister said that he had not been in favour of imposing a lockdown as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done.

PM Imran was addressing the ceremony for the commencement of three Ehsaas initiatives, including Ehsaas Rashan Portal, Ehsaas Langar and Panagah App and PM's COVID Relief Fund website, in the Federal Capital on Monday.

He said the elderly people and those already suffering from serious diseases are the most vulnerable and if they are protected against the virus, the impact of the pandemic will get considerably reduced.

'The next one month is difficult for dealing with the pandemic,' he said.

The prime minister spoke about the damage that had been done to the economies of developed countries like Italy and the United States when they had to impose a complete lockdown, saying that long cues of people could be seen in America asking for food and charity.

'So it had to happen in our country [too],' he said. 'And if provinces would have asked me I would never have allowed such a lockdown.

Because when you are about to impose a lockdown, you should think about the effects your decisions will have on the masses,' he added.

The premier said that provinces should not have ordered a lockdown until they thought...