LAHORE: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said the government is preparing policies and developing a road map to cope with the ill-effects of the ongoing coronavirus crisis on the country’s economy.

“No government can contain the 220 million population at homes and offer them food supplies to meet their needs in the coronavirus pandemic,” she said and added the government was planning to serve the needy as well as the masses living below the poverty line and jobless white-collar people in the country.

Speaking to media persons at Jinnah Hospital alongside AIMC/JHL Board of Management chairman Gohar Ijaz on Saturday, Dr Awan said the prime minister’s announcement to functionalise the construction industry would help a lot of jobless people to get jobs and earn their livelihood. “Our match is against coronavirus, poverty and hunger,” she said.

Dr Awan said the government and the non-government sectors needed to join hands to serve the humanity in dire need of financial and food assistance.

She said even the strongest economies were so far not able to serve their entire population or come up with any technology-based research to cure the coronavirus.

She lauded the doctors and all other healthcare professionals for serving the ailing humanity on frontlines and added the government had already approved one-month salary for them as risk allowance in recognition of their services.

She said this was not a time about doing politics but develop political solidarity to combat the coronavirus scourge and save people from its lethal effects. The government had announcement relief packages and was now going for its implementation, she said.

Dr Awan said the prime minister had asked the provincial governments to go for partial and incremental lockdowns and ensure food supply chain, where compelled to seal areas.

Dr Awan lauded Gohar Ijaz for his philanthropy to serve the coronavirus-positive patients as well as food for the destitute. She urged the rich and philanthropists to come forward and donate in the PM’s Corona Relief Fund so that poor people could be served properly.

JHL BoM Chairman Gohar Ijaz also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2020