PM Imran says elite imposed lockdown without thinking of poor

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that the decision to impose lockdown in the country to combat the coronavirus pandemic was taken by the “elite without thinking of the poor”.

PM Imran, while addressing a ceremony at COMSTECH headquarters in Islamabad, said one of the lessons learnt from the coronavirus was that we need to improve the health infrastructure of the country.

“Now, we have to improve our hospitals and revamp our medical infrastructure in the country,” he said, adding “hospitals will not improve before elite, including ministers, do not go there for treatment.”

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He added that the pandemic has also shown to the elite that they cannot go abroad for treatment.

PM Imran stated that the coronavirus has shown to the country that it affects everyone, not just the rich and the poor. He added that the elite took the decision to impose the lockdown and did not think about the daily wage earner.

"Virus has shown that if we do not focus on the poor regions then corona will also spread to posh areas as well," said PM Imran.

The prime minister stated that the elite was so inspired by the West that it did not think that Pakistan could develop itself.

PM Imran said that the coronavirus outbreak has made it clear that the disease does not discriminate; it affects everyone, whether rich or poor. He said that the country did not have any “self-belief” and questioned that a country that can make nuclear weapons did not know how to make ventilators, sanitizers and disinfectants.

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The prime minister said COVID-19 crisis provided an opportunity to locally produce ventilators and other protective equipment as everything cannot be imported.

"Government is charting out a vision for the country on long-term planning and not on a short-term vision," said PM Imran. He emphasised that we have to go towards the knowledge economy, education, science and technology to get a dignified place among the comity of nations.

During the address, PM Imran also lauded the Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal for thinking of developing medical equipment locally and exporting it.

After the address, PM Imran was also given a briefing during the exhibition of medical equipment and products being manufactured by the Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with other partners to contain COVID-19 in the country.