Lahore: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar says smart lockdown’s success depends on complete implementation of SOPs (standard operating procedures) otherwise it will cause more harm than good. The governor said the government wanted that the economy’s wheel start moving along with proper precautions to avoid coronavirus infection. Saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to transform Pakistan into a true welfare state, the Governor said the government introduced financial support package for small businessmen and Rs12,000 for those families that lost their jobs in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. “He said poor and vulnerable families will not be unattended during these testing times,” he said. The Governor was speaking at a meeting with Forest Ninister Sibtain Khan, Haji Muhammad Ramzan and others at Governor’s House on Sunday.
Governor Punjab said that the people were facing severe economic crisis alongside serious health issues. Since the business community is facing serious problems in the wake of lockdown, he said the government was making efforts to switch towards smart lockdown. However, if the industries failed to meet the agreed upon SOPs during smart lockdown, he said there would be more harm than good. “The industries being allowed to open up their businesses must implement the SOPs and save precious lives,” he asserted.
Governor Punjab said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan the government was taking innovative steps to help all those, who lost their jobs during the ongoing pandemic crisis.The governor said daily wagers, workers at shops and industries could get themselves registered at a separate portal in the Ehsaas Kafalat Programme and receive Rs12,000 financial assistance. He acknowledged that the daily wagers were worst-hit segment of the society and that was why they were given package of Rs200 billion in a most transparent manner without any political discrimination.