F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday stressed on the need of prioritizing efforts and enforcing decisions of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) for COVID-19 through regular and timely meetings under the leadership of Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umer.
He reiterated that there must be no compromise on the availability of essential food items and sustainability of supply lines throughout the country. Hoarders and smugglers would be made an example, he warned.
The prime minister expressed these views while visiting the National Command and Operation Centre for COVID-19 here, a statement issued by the PM Media Office said.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa was present during the visit.
Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Minister for National Food Security Khusro Bakhtiar, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant on National Security Dr Moeed Yousaf, and senior civil and military officials were also present on the occasion.
The prime minister was briefed by Federal Minister Asad Umer and Major General Asif Mehmood Goraya, Director General Operations and Planning NCOC, about the latest situation of COVID-19, the measures taken thus far and the future course of action for containment efforts against the coronavirus.
The National Command and Operation Centre is a nerve centre to synergise and articulate unified national effort against the COVID-19, and to implement the decisions of National Coordination Committee on COVID-19.
The centre is a one-window operation to collate, analyse and process information based on digital input and human intelligence across Pakistan through dedicated representatives and centres of all the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory.
Recommendations based on information/ data, including health, finance, and all matters related to COVID-19, is then processed to the NCC headed by the PM for real time projections and timely interventions by it.
The prime minister directed the NCOC to focus on health management, financial impact, socio-economic and food security, strategic communication and awareness while suggesting the calibrated and measured response paradigm with the evolving scenario in the wake of COVID-19.
Appreciating the establishment of the National Command and Operation Centre and progress made by the NCOC so far, he said they needed to render untiring efforts for effective enforcement of the decisions through the NCOC to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 across the country.
