Provincial Task Force meets to take stock of latest corona situation in KP

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: A meeting of Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 held here on Friday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair, took stock of the latest Corona situation with special focus on the increasing number of positive cases and deaths in the province. The meeting also reviewed in detail the implementation of lockdown and social distancing measures and its effectiveness in containing the mass scale outbreak of Corona pandemic as well as its negative impacts on economic activities. The forum discussed various options and proposals to devise an effective, safe and workable strategy for the upcoming days.

Provincial Ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Shaukat Yousafzai and Advisor to CM Ajmal Wazir, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt. General Nauman Mahmood, Chief Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz, Provincial Police Chief Sanaullah Abbassi, relevant administrative secretaries and representatives of relevant civil and military bodies attended the meeting. It was decided in the meeting that implementation of SoPs in the shops already allowed to operate would be monitored strictly and in case of non-compliance, the shops would be sealed instead of imposing fines. It was agreed in the meeting that opening of these essential businesses would be conditional to the strict implementation of SoPs.

The forum decided that strategy for the upcoming days would be devised in consultation with other provinces and federal government in the next meeting of National Coordination Committee, however final decision would be taken keeping in view the peculiar ground realities of the province.

Addressing the participants of the meeting, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said that government was fighting on two different fronts simultaneously; on one hand people have to be protected from the corona pandemic and on the other they have to be guarded against hunger.

“All the decisions of the government being taken in the prevailing situation are meant for the safety of the general public”, the Chief Minister remarked and urged upon the public to extend full cooperation to the government in this regard. He said that there had been a remarkable coordination and cooperation of the Pak-Army with the Civil Administration in the Corona situation, and hoped that with the close coordination of all stakeholders, the situation would be dealt with in an effective manner.