Govt. Mulling Over A Complete Lockdown In Pakistan? Here’s What We Know So Far!

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complete lockdown in Pakistan
Image Source: The News/ India Tv news

Amid a surge in coronavirus positivity ratio due to the third wave of the virus gripping different parts of Pakistan, rumors of a complete lockdown started doing rounds in the country.

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Those viral reports of a nationwide lockdown were being attributed to Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed.

“Complete national lockdown in Pakistan expected from Monday according to the Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed as the third wave of #COVID19 is going berserk in Pakistan,” international journalist, Wajahat Kazmi, tweeted on Saturday.

However, Mr. Rashid immediately issued a clarification saying this is NOT true. He added that the news doing rounds about a complete lockdown in Pakistan on Monday is completely false.

He further clarified saying he told news channels that the NCOC could think of smart lockdowns in affected areas on Monday, but not a complete lockdown. I did not AT ALL speak about a complete lockdown, he asserted.

It is NCOC’s decision to impose a lockdown, interior ministry cannot issue such orders, Mr. Rashid concluded.

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Later in the day, NCOC (National Command and Operation Centre) chief, Asad Umar, while speaking with the renowned anchor, Shahzad Iqbal, rebutted all the disinformation camping.

“Complete lockdown is not the solution,” said the federal minister. “We tried explaining that to people during the first wave [of COVID-19] but they did not understand. You cannot shut down the entire country and steal people’s livelihoods,” added Mr. Umar.

He further added that several parts of the country have undergone “smart lockdowns,” after a spike in covid cases. The outcome of it, however, hasn’t been satisfactory, so we’re planning on putting more areas under lockdown by Monday, conveyed the minister.

Sources within the information and broadcasting ministry in Islamabad also confirmed this news.

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