'Don't lay off your employees,' PM urges industrialists

Announcing the establishment of "PM Corona Relief Fund", prime minister Imran Khan on Monday stated that State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had decided to provide cheap loans to the industries who would not be laying off their employees.
In a televised address to the nation, the prime minister said that fund's account would be open on Tuesday in a National Bank of Pakistan branch and the depositors would not be asked any questions.
He said that if a depositor wanted to declare his or her deposited amount in tax returns, he would get tax relief.
The prime minister said that the purpose of the fund would be to use the amount in the event of more cash transfers to 12 million recipient people.
The prime minister asked charitable organisations to get themselves registered on the Facebook page of Ehsaas programme because the government wanted to guide them with the objective to ensuring coordinated relief efforts to avoid duplication.
The prime minister also warned hoarders that the State would take strict action against them.
"We can endanger someone's life by not adopting precautionary measures," he said, urging the people to adopt precautionary measures.
The prime minister stated this war cannot be won with resources alone and the only way to win it is by fighting it with the unity of the entire nation.
"We have to fight this war with a strategy according to the conditions of the country, and the biggest question is whether the government would be able to provide food to the people or not, and if we are unable to do so, this lockdown will not be successful," the prime minister said.
He said that the government decided to give with very difficulty a historic package of $8 billion as compared to over 2,000 billion dollar package by the US, adding that "so Pakistan's strength is the faith of its people and the youth".
He said: "I am announcing a 'tiger force' for corona relief to overcome weaknesses and shortcomings stemming from non-availability of resources with the help of civil and military force."
"The 'tiger force' will take the food to the lockdown areas and create awareness about self quarantine," he said.
The prime minister invited people belonging to various professions, including doctors, engineers, drivers, mechanics and others, to become part of the force.
"We will be able to tell you in five to seven days about the graph of coronavirus [progress]", he said.
Earlier, he stated that the entire world was fighting war against coronavirus and so far the only successful country was China because it locked down 11 million people in Wuhan, but Pakistan could not take a similar step because 25 percent of it population is living in extreme poverty.
"Additionally, 20 percent people are around the poverty line and one jolt can push them below the poverty line, so we are talking about eight to nine crore people. If we lock down and can't take care of these people, and they have nothing to eat after being unemployed, no lockdown will work," he said, adding: "if anyone thinks lockdown will be successful he or she must not lose sight of the fact this is a disease which does not differentiate between rich and the poor; it doesn't recognize any social barriers."