Sindh entering second phase of lockdown on May 11: CM.

KARACHI -- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday has said that Sindh was not ending the lockdown on Monday (May 11) and 'we are entering the second phase of lockdown with some extra restrictions, particularly at hotspots.' In a statement issued from the CM's House on Saturday, the Chief Minister said that some media channels were giving the impression that the lockdown was ending on Monday, which was totally wrong.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said, 'we are entering phase-II under which strict controls at hotspots were being initiated.' However, minor exemptions would be given to some sectors such as construction phase-II, and isolated shops in neighbourhoods would be allowed to operate under Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the government.

The Sindh CM added that air, train and public transport would continue to remain close. 'Our lockdown is linked to our data,' he said and added that our provincial health capacity was currently 20 percent.

We would consistently adjust our protective measures according to our capacity,' Syed Murad Ali Shah added.

CM orders release of Rs 286m for anti-locusts operation

Over all 166,701 of cropping area was damaged which constituted 13.8 percent of the total cropping area, says Murad Shah

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved the release of Rs286 million, apart from de-freezing Rs 132 million of agriculture department to start pesticide spray operation against locust which has already damaged crops standing over 166,701 acres. He took this decision on Saturday while presiding over a meeting here at CM's House.

Through video link, the meeting was attended by Minister Agriculture Ismail Rahu, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Agriculture Raheem Soomro, senior officers of Plant Protection department of the federal government and the officers of agriculture extension.

Sindh Minister for Agriculture Ismail Rahu briefed the Chief Minister that locust swarm had been reported in Jacoabad on April 25, 2017. He added that the other affected districts were Shikarpur, Larkana, Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Matiari, Dadu, Gadap and Malir of Karachi, Jamshoro and Hyderabad.

It was pointed out that nymphol population/hooper bands were present in desert areas of Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Shaheed Benaziarabad, Khairpur, Sukkur and Ghotki, At this the Chief Minister said that the locust could move to cropping area which was a standing threat...