Pakistan got no aid from international community for fight against virus: PM

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Reiterating his stance on the coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed on Friday that the country will have to return to normalcy while pushing ahead with its fight against the pandemic.

Speaking to a group of YouTube vloggers who called on him, he said he can’t say anything about when the country would get rid of the virus.

The prime minister said Pakistan has not yet received any aid from the international community for its fight against the coronavirus that posed a huge challenge to the country. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) only provided relief to the country in the shape of deferring loan instalments, he added.

Lockdown restrictions brought in to contain the spread of the disease in the country took a heavy toll on the weak segments of society, he said, adding he held a different opinion on the decision to impose a lockdown in the country in the wake of the virus outbreak.

Prime Minister Khan said unemployment facing the country at present was not seen in the pre-coronavirus period. He said conditions in Pakistan are different from the US and other developed countries where people have access to social security.

He said businesses should not have been closed down as it would add to the suffering of the people.

The prime minister said the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was the first political party to use social media in the country. No matter how much one tells lies, people will eventually find out the truth, he added.