PM Imran urges people to act responsibly amid second COVID-19 wave

Prime Minister Imran Khan ruling out lockdown has urged people to act responsibly and wear masks as coronavirus (COVID-19) cases spreading at an alarming rate across the country during the second wave.

Pakistan will avoid closing down factories so the economy continues to recover, said Imran Khan while addressing to media during his visit to Lahore.

"We cannot allow our people to die of hunger. Our economy has recovered after such hard work, we cannot stop its smooth functioning at this juncture," he said.

He said that Pakistan "successfully fought” the virus in the first wave, and urged people to follow standard operating procedures (SOP) as they did in the early months of the pandemic.

“COVID-19 infections are rapidly increasing and this will increase pressure on our hospitals. The situation can become worse if we did not take precautions,” warned the prime minister.

Responding to a query about whether the government will allow opposition to continue to hold rallies, he said that no such activity must take place that can cause spreading of virus.

"We must never allow any such activities which cause people to gather,” said the Prime Minister.

He added: “We know that when people have close contact, the virus spreads at a very fast rate. Which is why I had appealed before as well and we had put off our own rally.”

“I had said that until the situation is brought under control, until infections rate is brought down, no rallies will take place," he cleared.

Imran Khan also shed the light on ongoing developmental projects in Karachi and Lahore.

He said that the projects will focus on vertical expansion, as is done elsewhere in the world, so green areas can be protected — versus being demolished for expansion — and the threat to food security is addressed effectively.

PM Imran Khan the greatest contribution the two projects will have is growth in foreign exchange and creation of jobs.