KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday urged the federal government to impose a ban on export of food items such as wheat, rice and pulses under the food security plan to avoid a new crisis.

He said this while participating in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coordination committee meeting through video link.

He said that the ban should be imposed on export of food-related items such as wheat, rice and pulses.

“The wheat being harvested these days might be surplus but local requirements of the current year and of the next crop year must be addressed before taking any decision,” he said, adding what would happen in the next crop year could not be guessed now and there was a need to start emergency preparations.

Mr Shah said the shortages of food items could not be ruled out, if exports were allowed. “In such a situation imports would be costlier than the benefits of exports,” he said, adding: “We have to rely on our own resources at this critical time and have to ensure our food security.”

Claims Sindh govt distributed 250,000 ration bags so far; suggests to PM to extend lockdown for another 14 days

Wants lockdown extended for 14 days

He said that keeping in view the critical situation he wanted another lockdown of 14 days, if it was approved on the national level. “The decision should be taken and announced by the prime minister and we, the provinces, would follow the decision in true letter and spirit.”

Mr Shah said that the federal government was giving Rs12,000 cash per family and suggested to the prime minister that the payments must be conditional in the sense that the recipient must observe the lockdown by staying home at least for 14 days.

The CM told the prime minister that the provincial government was meeting the expenditures of the Covid-19 tests from its resources. “We are conducting more than 90 per cent test and about 10 per cent are being done by the private sector but we are subsidising them,” he said.

He said that he was mindful of the economic situation under which exports were stopped, local financial activities came to a halt and no growth was being expected.

He requested the federal government to share the standard operating procedures it had worked out for the post-lockdown period so that they could be compared with the SOPs the provincial government had prepared. The provincial government would also share the same with the centre, he added.

National narrative needed

Calling for developing a national narrative and action plan to combat Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Shah told a press conference here that the province-wise actions and approaches would make no difference in the country.

“Covid-19 pandemic is such a serious emergency which none of us has ever seen and even thought of, therefore, every decision to contain it must be made at the national level and provincial governments should follow them,” he added.

He said that a ‘National Action Plan’ to combat Covid-19 should be framed. “There should be a national narrative”, he said and added that the Army Public School carnage had developed national unity and subsequently a National Action Plan against terrorism came into existence.

The chief minister said that one of the provinces had its “Corona Advisory Group” which suggested further extension in the lockdown for another two weeks.

Sindh release Rs1bn for ration distribution

Mr Shah said that his government announced to distribute ration but the federal institutions deliberately delayed sharing the data of the deserving people, as a result his government could not start distribution of ration.

He said that 250,000 ration bags had been distributed so far.

“We have released Rs1 billion for distribution of ration and philanthropists have provided 300,000 bags,” he said, adding that in this way 500,000 bags would be distributed among needy people across the province.

He said that the ration was distributed from 4am to 7am every day and it was handed over to the deserving people at their doorsteps.

He also thanked police and Rangers for helping the provincial government in distribution of ration.

Equipment shortage

Mr Shah said that his government was facing a shortage of equipment such as ventilators, personal protective equipment, testing kits, testing machines.

He said that he had ordered preparation of PPE locally but vents and testing kits and machines were required to be provided by the federal government. He thanked the federal government for providing PPE and some testing kits.

The chief minister also thanked ulema and religious scholars for their support and cooperation and understanding the situation. “I had met with them and would meet them again so that their further guidance could be sought,” he said.

He also thanked doctors, paramedical staff for their untiring services. He also thanked media for educating people.

The chief minister said that Ramazan was approaching and there was a dire need of developing a new SOP for the holy month.

41 new Covid-19 cases in Sindh

The CM said that 513 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours and 41 of them were diagnosed as positive. He said one patient died during the same period.

“From Tuesday, we would be conducting at least 1,500 tests. Let’s see how many suspects come out as positive,” he said.

He said that out of 13,309 tests conducted so far, 1,452 were positive.

The chief minister also disclosed that he had written a letter to the prime minister asking him to write off electricity bills of up to Rs5,000 and gas bills up to Rs2,000 to provide relief to the people.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2020