Ajmal rejects reports of curfew’s enforcement

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Adviser to the Chief Minister KP for Information, Ajmal Wazir here Friday outrightly rejected news reports about enforcement of curfew in Peshawar in the wake of surge of coronavirus cases and urged masses to adopt all safety measures against COVID-19 during the holy month of Ramazan.

In a press briefing via video link here, Ajmal Wazir clarified that there was no truth in news reports regarding enforcement of curfew in Peshawar in the aftermath of coronavirus outbreak, adding security forces were extending full cooperation to Provincial Government in the prevailing coronavirus situation.

He said a high level meeting of Provincial Task Force with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in chair and attended by Corps Commander Peshawar, Chief Secretary KP, IGP, concerned administrative secretaries and others high ranking officials, have finalized decisions regarding combating of coronavirus that would be presented to the National Coordination Committee to be presided over by the Prime Minister.

He said all zaireens, who returned from Taftan and qurantined in DI Khan and Peshawar, were departed for homes after fully recovery. Wazir said all those Pakistanis, who returned from Afghanistan, were first qurantined at Khyber district and those with negative COVID-19 test moved to their homes. Likewise, those people whose tests were reported positive were sent to isolation centres and in case of serious illness would be shifted to high dependency units.

He said effective arrangements were made for help and assistance of Tableegi jumaat members and people repatriating from Gulf countries.

Ajmal Wazir said corona testing capacity of KP were enhanced to 1000 per day and reputed private hospitals were being engaged to increase this capacity to 5000 per day without compromise on quality and standards, adding currently 90pc tests were being conducted through Government hospitals’ laboratories.

Under PM Ehsas Cash Emergency Program, he said over Rs13 billion were distributed among poor families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Similarly, in next phase Rs 6,000 would be distributed among poor households under CM relief package and Rs12,000 from Zakat funds among 100,000 deserving families.

He said Ramazan was a holy month that teach us values of patience, tolerance and forgiveness and urged philanthropists to generously contribute for the assistance of their poor brothers in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

Wazir said a total of 1,541 coronavirus have been reported so far in KP besides 85 deaths and 455 patients fully recovered.

He said two people died due to invisible killer during last 24 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa adding social distancing was imperative to combate the pandemic.