All corona related decisions being made with complete consensus: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Tuesday said all the decisions to contain the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were being taken with complete consensus.

“The federal government, all the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are in continuous and close coordination with one another,” Asad Umar said, adding the people working in emergency situation were of the view that such an organised coordination had never been seen in the country’s history.

Responding to the criticism from some political leaders, the minister told a media briefing led by Prime Minister Imran Khan that the extended coordination was evident from the fact that since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in the country, the National Coordination Committee presided over by the prime minister and attended by the political leadership of all the provinces, GB and AJK, had met nine times, meaning twice a week.

The provincial chief ministers and the AJK prime minister belonged to four different political parties while all the decisions in the NCC meetings were made with the consensus of all of them, he added.

Likewise, the meeting of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on coronavirus was held on daily basis in which normally chief secretaries of all the provinces, GB and AJK participated, he said.

Briefing on the NCC's decisions about opening of various sectors in the country, Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar said the business, industry, and supply chain connected with construction, agriculture, media and banking sectors, and the relief related activities were open now.

On the prime minister's directions, the minister said, it was decided that industries and sectors where there was low risk of spread of the pandemic such as e-commerce export, local supply of e-commerce, chemical manufacturing plants, software development, paper and packaging, cement plants, fertilizer plants, mines and minerals, plants and trees nurseries, laundries, agriculture machinery manufacturing units, glass manufacturing, veterinary services, stationary and book shops, and all export industries provided that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) first confirmed the exports orders received by them.

Hammad Azhar said all the above mentioned sectors would be bound to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protective measures to avoid spread of the coronavirus issued by the federal government.

He said all the decisions were made with complete consensus of the Federation, provinces, GB and AJK. However, the minister mentioned two decisions on which one province had difference of opinion that was to allow tailors, vendors, plumbers, electricians and woodworkers to resume their activities so that they could earn livelihoods for their families.

He said the federal government along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan, GB and AJK governments were in favour of opening the construction sites, while one provincial government was against the decision.

With regard to the construction sector, Hammad Azhar said it was decided to open the sector in phases. In the first stage, the business of cement and brick kilns would be opened immediately.

Before the start of Ramazan, he said the government would consider to unlock further sectors depending on the situation of the pandemic in the country.