As Covid-19 runs riot in the country, the federal government put some strict precautionary measures in place to stem the pandemic by completely shutting down some departments/ministries, while others are maintaining skeleton staff to take care of official matters.
Some of the major preventive measures taken by the federal government include exemption from biometric attendance, exemption to female employees from attending offices, exemption to male employees of 50 years of age or above from attending office, and exemption to all those employees from attending office who are suffering from any kind of flu, fever or any other related ailment involving viral or bacterial infections.
Besides, several public dealing departments including those of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP), Driving Licensing Branch of Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP), Excise and Taxation Department and Pakistan Railways have been closed for public dealing.
Certain federal government public dealing departments such as Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM), Pakistan Post, Capital Development Authority (CDA), the Chief Commissioner's Office, the Deputy Commissioner's Office and their attached offices are open but their operations have been restricted.
According to officials, the federal government departments which were open including those working under the administrative ambits of the ministries of Defence and Defence Production, are following the policy of rotation to ensure 50 percent staff under the age of 50 in these offices attend on rotation basis.
Some classified organizations in the defence and defence production sectors have allowed only their senior officers holding administrative positions to regularly attend office but follow precautionary measures such as wearing masks and sanitizing hands before entering offices.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also exempted all its female officers and the subordinate female staff from attending office till April 6. The Commission has also closed its Gender, Protocol and Training Wings till April 6.