The relief efforts announced by the government in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is another milestone achieved by the government, amidst criticism of not being able to manage the coronavirus situation in Pakistan. Both the packages announced by the government aim to provide relief not just to the average consumer but also to the business community, that will incur losses at this time. The business community in KP will be relieved of taxes worth Rs5 billion, whereas, in Punjab, the business community will be relieved of taxes worth Rs18 billion. This will certainly provide the government the support it needs to carry forward its efforts against the coronavirus.

It will also reinstate the trust of the masses in the government because several people will be provided necessary help from the administration. The allocation of funds for those that are living below the poverty line and do not have access to proper health facilities will also help flatten the curve. These people rely on daily wages for survival and the current lockdown prevents them from doing so. However, the measures being taken by the government are people-friendly and will certainly reduce the impact of the virus in the coming days.

With a battered economy, the provincial governments are incentivising people to follow orders and are also trying to boost their cycle by waiving off taxes and also providing funds to people. This will complement the efforts that the federal government is taking on a national level. This crisis requires the utmost coordination between the centre and the provinces in order to be able to tackle the situation effectively. The provinces where we see such reforms are centre-aligned. These measures need to be extended to Balochistan and Sindh as well to ensure uniformity of actions across the board.