Lockdown may send families below poverty line: official

E-Paper | March 15, 2026

QUETTA: Over 1.2 million families in Balochistan had been adversely affected due to lockdown imposed in the province to stop the spread of coronavirus, said a spokesperson for the Balochistan government at a press conference on Saturday.

According to him, if continues for another two months the lockdown may force thousands of families in the province to live below the poverty line.

“As the number of cases is increasing, we have decided to conduct 1,750 tests daily,” Liaquat Ali Shahwani said, adding that the total number of infected patients had now reached 359 in Balochistan, of which 229 patients were local transmissions.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2020

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M. Emad

Apr 19, 2020 08:14am

Pakistani economy already lost about 3 trillion Rupee due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

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Apr 19, 2020 08:31am

Pakistan is the only country in South Asia with increasing poverty and that was even without a global pandemic.

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Fastrack

Apr 19, 2020 03:37pm

@M. Emad, Nice try with fake figures. The actual figure by economists for Indian economy's initial loss is $200b.

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Jjacky

Apr 19, 2020 03:47pm

@M. Emad, 3 trillion

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Jjacky

Apr 19, 2020 03:47pm

@ak, infact this pandemic has saved them, money pouring from all corners.

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Shisha bar

Apr 20, 2020 03:54am

How do you send families already below the poverty line below the poverty line?

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