Islamabad,
Pakistan will be compelled to go into a complete lockdown if Coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country at the same rate and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will be responsible for the consequences, tweeted PM Imran Khan on Sunday.
The prime minister blamed the PDM for “deliberately endangering lives and livelihoods” by holding jalsas across the country with coronavirus cases in Pakistan on the rise.
“If Covid-19 cases continue to rise at the rate we are seeing, we will be compelled to go into complete lockdown and the PDM will be responsible for the consequences,” he tweeted.
& complete lockdowns in most countries. In Pak, the PDM by continuing with jalsas is deliberately endangering lives & livelihoods bec if cases continue to rise at the rate we are seeing, we will be compelled to go into complete lockdown & PDM will be responsible for consequences
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 22, 2020
Reiterating his often-repeated stance, the premier told Opposition parties that he would not grant them an NRO even if they held “a million jalsas.”
“Opposition is callously destroying people’s lives and livelihoods in their desperation to get an NRO. Let me make it clear: they can hold a million jalsas but will not get any NRO,” he tweeted.
Opposition is callously destroying people"s lives & livelihoods in their desperation to get an NRO. Let me make it clear: they can hold a million jalsas but will not get any NRO.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 22, 2020
However, the prime minister said he did not want to take the lockdown measure as it would hurt the economy and create problems for the people. He lashed out at the Opposition by saying that its “only goal is NRO at whatever cost to the lives of people & the country’s economy”.
“I do not want to take measures like a lockdown that will start hurting our economy which at the moment is showing signs of a robust recovery. Unfortunately, the Opposition’s only goal is NRO at whatever cost to the lives of people & the country’s economy,” he tweeted.
I do not want to take measures like a lockdown that will start hurting our economy which at the moment is showing signs of a robust recovery. Unfortunately, the Opposition's only goal is NRO at whatever cost to the lives of people & the country's economy.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 22, 2020
The premier expressed concern at second Covid-19 spike data, highlighting the increase in Covid patients on ventilators in the last 15 days. In his tweet, the government’s spokesperson stated, “Playing with the lives of innocent people and workers for petty political gain exposes the mindset of vested interest groups.”
Opposition is callously destroying people"s lives & livelihoods in their desperation to get an NRO. Let me make it clear: they can hold a million jalsas but will not get any NRO.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 22, 2020
“The culprits who have defamed the state institutions and destroyed the economy are now after the health and employment of the people. They want to affect both public health and employment with their irresponsible behavior,” he maintained.
The federal minister further added, “The people will be held accountable for the corruption.
Meanwhile, Pakistan on Sunday reported 59 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases surged to 374,173. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 7,662 on Sunday.
