ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that it is possible the government may impose strict restrictions and smart lockdowns in the coming days.
The minister added however, the decision-makers will also need to assess the impact of such a decision on the poor and working classes.
As reports of a nationwide lockdown began to circulate, Rasheed issued a video statement to set the record straight. “I did not say at all that a lockdown will begin on Monday. False reports attributed to me have been circulating,” he said in the statement.
He added that he had responded to various channels’ beepers and said that on Monday, in coronavirus hotspots, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) “may consider smart lockdowns”.
“I did not speak of a complete, nationwide lockdown at all. So I wish to say to everyone, this is a false report being circulated,” Rasheed stressed.
He added that the decision, in any case, will be taken by the NCOC and does not fall under the purview of the interior ministry.
Meanwhile, sources in the interior ministry said there is no plan for an immediate lockdown in Islamabad and that any decision in this regard can only be taken on the recommendation of the NCOC.
