Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he understands the problems being faced by overseas Pakistanis, especially those students stranded in China in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
During his address to the nation on the pandemic, he asked the nation to not panic and to be careful.
Khan said that the virus is particularly dangerous for old people, as their immune system is already weak.
The prime minister urged people not to panic, saying that 97% of those infected with the virus, which causes the Covid-19 disease, have recovered.
Khan paid tribute to the Baluchistan government and to the Pakistan army for ensuring that pilgrims arriving from Iran via the land border at Taftan were quarantined.
He said that the government is following the coronavirus situation closely.
The prime minister spoke about the coronavirus situation around the world, saying that the US, Italy and England have reacted differently to the virus.
However, he said, Pakistan cannot afford to taken the same response as European countries.
“Our economic situation is very fragile,” the prime minister said. “If we close down the country, what will happen to the poor? People will die of hunger here.”
Khan said that his government had taken the difficult decision to prohibit public gatherings and ban events where people tended to show up in huge numbers, such as the Pakistan Super League 2020.
The prime minister said that while the government and people will have to take precautions, he said that people should know that the virus will spread.
“Get it through your heads, the virus will spread,” Khan said.
The prime minister said that an economic committee will determine how the government can cope with the coronavirus situation.
Khan said he fears that food prices will once again rise as profiteers and hoarders will once again resume illicit activities.
“I want to warn these people [profiteers and hoarders] not to make money from the people’s misery,” he said. “The state will take stern action against you.”
He said that the coronavirus is spreading quickly in many countries, and that the government is studying responses of other governments and how they are acting to deal with the pandemic.
The prime minister urged people to join hands with the government in its “war” against the novel coronavirus and act responsibly.
He urged people to avoid large gatherings and refrain from shaking hands.
Earlier, Prime Minister Khan urged the world community to consider writing off loans of developing countries like Pakistan to help them cope with the pandemic.
In an exclusive interview with Associated Press (AP), he said that fears the coronavirus will devastate the economies of developing nations.
The prime minister said that if a serious outbreak happens in Pakistan, his government’s efforts to lift the ailing economy out of near collapse would falter, triggering an unstoppable slide backward.
He said exports would fall off, unemployment would soar, and an onerous national debt would become an impossible burden.
Referring to the health infrastructure constraints of different countries and regions, Khan said that Pakistan simply does not have the capability and resources to deal with the coronavirus.
He further called for lifting sanctions against Iran.
Khan said that Iran is a classic example of a place where the humanitarian imperative to contain the outbreak outweighs political rivalries or economic dogmas.
Responding to a question, the prime minister expressed disappointment over the recent remarks by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani against Pakistan.
Khan said that since taking office, he had worked hard with the US to help cobble together a peace deal in Afghanistan.
He said that Pakistan should be appreciated for the way it has gone about furthering the peace process.
Khan said that Pakistan is now a partner in peace for the US.
He said he has always opposed his country’s participation in the “war on terror”, calling it a waste of Pakistani lives and money.
Khan also raised concern over the killing of Muslims in New Delhi, saying that the Indian prime minister’s Hindu nationalist-led government threatens to disenfranchise hundreds of millions of people through a controversial new citizenship law.
He said that the world’s worst nightmare has happened as an “extremist and racist party” that believes in racial superiority has taken over a nuclear-armed country of more than 1bn people.