LAHORE            -          Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has said that complete implementation of SOPs (standard operating procedures) is a guarantee for success of smart lockdown, otherwise the lockdown will cause more harm than good.

Speaking during a meeting with Forest Minister Sibtain Khan, Haji Muhammad Ramzan and others at who called on him at Governor House on Sunday, Ch Sarwar said that the government wanted that the economy’s wheel to start moving along with proper precautions to avoid coronavirus infection.

Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to transform Pakistan into a true welfare state, the Governor said, adding that the government introduced financial support package for small businessmen and Rs12,000 for those who lost their jobs in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

“Poor and vulnerable families will not be unattended during these testing times,” he added.

Governor Punjab said that the people were facing severe economic crisis alongside serious health issues. Since the business community was facing serious problems in the wake of lockdown, he said that the government was making efforts to switch towards smart lockdown.

However, if the industries failed to meet the agreed upon SOPs during smart lockdown, he said there would be more harm than good. “The industries being allowed to open up their businesses must implement the SOPs and save precious lives,” he asserted.

Ch Sarwar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government was taking innovative steps to help all those, who lost their jobs during the ongoing pandemic crisis.

Daily wagers, workers at shops and industries could get themselves registered at a separate portal in the Ehsaas Kafalat Programme and receive Rs12,000 financial assistance, he added.

The Governor Punjab acknowledged that the daily wagers were worst-hit segment of the society and that was why a package of Rs200 billion was  allocated to them and was disbursed in a most transparent manner without any political discrimination.