PM Imran says in 'seeking total lockdown', nation showed 'elite-centric' response to pandemic

Prime Minister Imran Khan late Friday, while wishing Ramadan to the nation, has said that the nation has largely been "elite-centric" in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, with no thought for daily wage earners "as we sought a total lockdown".

PM Imran, in a tweet, said: "Ramazan Mubarak to Muslims across the world. We in Pakistan must use this holy month to ask Allah for forgiveness for neglecting the poor & vulnerable in our society."

"We as a nation have been elite-centric in our policies, with no thought for these people, incl in the pandemic [...] when we sought a total lockdown without thinking about the consequences for the daily wage earners, the street vendors, the labourers, all of whom face poverty & hunger for themselves & their families," he said.

Pakistan will observe the first of Ramadan on Saturday, with obligatory and taraweeh prayers observed in mosques under the guidelines and SOPs issued by the ulema and the provincial governments.

"May Allah forgive us our sin of neglecting our dispossessed & poor citizens," PM Imran lamented.

The premier reiterated that the people of Pakistan must strive to make the country into a welfare state, such as "Riyasat-i- Madina".

"Let us also resolve as a nation, in this holy month of Ramazan, to lift our marginalised citizens out of poverty & mainstream them as our Prophet PBUH did in the world's first welfare state - Riyasat-i- Madina - and as China has done in lifting 700 m people out of poverty," he said.