Khusro Bakhtiar tells people to avoid panic buying, says Pakistan has ample stock

ISLAMABAD: Food Security Minister Khusro Bakhtiar said Monday people should stop panic buying and assured the citizens that sufficient stocks of basic food items were available across Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference with Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf and NDMA Chairperson Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal, Bakhtiar said Pakistan was self sufficient in poultry, livestock, and dairy items.

He told the people not to indulge in panic buying and hoard items. The minister said that the federal government will need to enhance inter-provincial management in the future to tackle the coronavirus epidemic.

NDMA Chair Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal said the government had provided the institution enough funds which would enable it to manage the coronavirus epidemic.

He said that the government had decided to provide Pakistani health workers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by April 5, 2020. "However, we will be able to achieve this by March 30, 2020," he said.

Lt Gen Afzal said that negotiations were underway and by next Friday, all health workers will have PPE. He said that 120 ventilators will be brought to Pakistan from China as well.

"The ventilators quantity will be increased to 1,200 in the second phase of our operations and by third phase, to 4,000 Insha'Allah," he said.

The NDMA chairperson said a Pakistani engineer had designed a ventilator and he will take a look at the final product today. He acknowledged China's help in the fight against the epidemic.

"Our brother China has helped us a lot in this crisis," he said. "A team from China will also arrive in a week here to assist us in tackling the coronavirus," he added.