PM Imran says lockdown to be lifted in phases from Saturday.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the nationwide lockdown will be lifted in phases starting from Saturday (May 9).

The announcement came as Sindh and Punjab both crossed 9,000 cases on Thursday and reported their highest daily death tolls.

Punjab reported 26 deaths, the highest single-day total of any province so far, while Sindh reported 14 deaths. The total number of deaths countrywide have reached 585, registering a 100 per cent increase over the last 10 days.

"We know that we're doing it at a time when our curve is going up but it is not edging up as we were expecting,' said the prime minister in a televised address alongside his aides after a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) in Islamabad. He warned that the restrictions could be restored anytime if the outbreak worsens.

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said six major decisions have been taken by the government:

More sectors related to construction will be opened

Selected OPDs will be opened to treat specific diseases and illnesses

Markets will open after sehri but close at 5pm

Markets will remain closed for two days per week

Small markets will also be allowed to open

Schools to remain shut until July 15

"Earlier, we had decided to reopen our construction industry. Now we have decided to reopen more sectors related to the industry," Umar stated, as he explained that earlier decision to give permission to bigger markets to reopen will now be expanded to cover smaller markets as well.

Big shopping malls and other spaces which attract big crowds, however, would remain closed for now.

Umar said that the government deliberated opening markets after iftar but ended up deciding that markets should not open at night.

"Markets will open after sehri but they will have to close at 5pm," Umar said.

"Markets will remain closed two days a week. Our police officials need a much-needed respite [from enforcing lockdown measures]."

Umar added that OPDs in hospitals, which were shut during the lockdown, will now reopen in "selected and reserved" hospitals across the country.

'Take responsibility,' PM urges people

Prime Minister Imran said that the decision to lift the lockdown was taken "because our people are suffering", adding that everyone - from labourers, daily wage workers, rickshaw drivers to middle class families - was struggling financially due to the lockdown.

While acknowledging that the government has launched Ehsaas emergency cash...