Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar says he read the World Health Organisation letter recommending “intermittent” lockdowns in Pakistan to curb rising cases of the coronavirus but that "the government should decide the future actions after consulting opposition parties."

He recalled saying in Ramazan that the rush in markets was worrying, adding that he felt like "people thought we had defeated the coronavirus".

"This is a national issue. ... We need to be united against this virus to defeat it," he said.