ISLAMABAD: The government has no plan to impose lockdown in federal capital as the offices of the federal government would continue to work in the stipulated hours, but they will be regulated through presence of essential employees’ in the respective offices.
The federal secretaries of different ministries and divisions have been authorised to regulate the office working under them. Highly placed government sources told The News here Tuesday evening that the decision to keep open the offices of the federal government has been taken after extensive deliberations since shutdown will have adverse impact on the overall working of the state.
The Cabinet and Establishment divisions have issued instructions to the various ministries and divisions in this regard. The sources said that the state of affairs in Islamabad is similar to the situation in Punjab with slight difference. The crowding of the people is being discouraged, restaurants and hotels have been closed down and people are not being allowed to roam aimlessly in streets and roads. The public transport may totally be closed from today (Wednesday).
The administration has decided to wash with Islamabad with chlorine water on the pattern Chinese town Wuhan was washed immediate after breakout of coronavirus in China. The heavy machinery and water cannons have been put in place on Tuesday evening and all the preparations were finalised for the purpose.
The sources said that every street, road, pavement, building, tree, plant and visible walls in Islamabad will be chlorinated so that no virus could survive. The inhabitants of Islamabad are being warned that they should adopt measures for their own and their belongings protection at their own during the spray.
The chlorinated water could be piousness. The exercise will be carried out on regular basis every week as long the current situation prevails. Later it could be converted to the frequency of every month, the sources said.
The private offices in the federal capital will be closed from today for a fortnight. The sources revealed that most of the embassies and high commissions based in Islamabad are working regularly but with the minimum strength of the personnel as the diplomatic missions have already dispatched their middle and lower grade staff back to their respective country. The diplomats are frightened from spreading of the virus in Pakistan and their fear is about its reoccurrence, that could come about any time down the line in four to eight weeks.
The Foreign Office has provided the missions guidance for dealing with the situation since they are in contact with the protocol division of the Foreign Office constantly, the sources added.
