Shehbaz urges business community to help daily-wage earners.

LAHORE -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has urged the business community to play a significant role in helping the labourers and daily-wage earners survive such a tough time caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

'The basic issue is capacity and seriousness to fight and win this challenge. At one end the coronavirus is taking lives, while at the other people's livelihoods are at stake,' he was quoted as saying by the PML-N's media office during a consultative meeting with the country's business community on Thursday.

Shehbaz discussed the state of the virus in the country and heard the community's suggestions and proposals on how to deal with the situation. They, according to the media office, praised Shehbaz's decision of holding the meeting and gather 'one of the hardest-hit section at this point'.

They said that such interactive consultative meetings provide an opportunity to voice the community's most pressing issues and proposals to the power corridors.

The federal government on Wednesday extended the country-wide lockdown till April 14 as part of its efforts to stem the spread of the virus. New timings for markets and the idea of social distancing have affected the business activities in the country just like across the world. However, the government has also announced a relief package to bear the burden.

'I am aware and deeply concerned over the wide-scale impact of the restrictive measures on the business community. But the containment of the spread of the disease is unavoidable,' Shehbaz said, adding that the PML-N seeks to put together a charter of demand by the business community.

Shehbaz, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, said that...