Planning Minister Asad Umar has said that the reason behind Pakistan's "successful" response to the novel coronavirus, through which the government not only curbed the spread of the disease but also saved the country's economy from collapsing, was because Prime Minister Imran Khan prioritised the welfare of the people.

"All the steps taken by Imran Khan reflect [his focus on the weakest sections]. So when all the political leaders were saying we should lock down the country [...] they did not think how it would impact the poor.

"I think the main reason was that Imran Khan thought about these (lower income) people from the start. We took quick and timely decisions and generated employment for people."