Lockdown may send families below poverty line: official

Published April 19, 2020
Liaquat Ali Shahwani said the government has decided to conduct 1,750 tests daily. — Photo courtesy Liaquat Shahwani Twitter/File
Liaquat Ali Shahwani said the government has decided to conduct 1,750 tests daily. — Photo courtesy Liaquat Shahwani Twitter/File

QUETTA: Over 1.2 million families in Balochistan had been adversely affected due to lockdown imposed in the province to stop the spread of coronavirus, said a spokesperson for the Balochistan government at a press conference on Saturday.

According to him, if continues for another two months the lockdown may force thousands of families in the province to live below the poverty line.

“As the number of cases is increasing, we have decided to conduct 1,750 tests daily,” Liaquat Ali Shahwani said, adding that the total number of infected patients had now reached 359 in Balochistan, of which 229 patients were local transmissions.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2020

Opinion

Who bears the cost?

Who bears the cost?

This small window of low inflation should compel a rethink of how the authorities and employers understand the average household’s

Editorial

Internet restrictions
Updated 23 Dec, 2024

Internet restrictions

Notion that Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression difficult to reconcile with the reality of restrictions.
Bangladesh reset
23 Dec, 2024

Bangladesh reset

THE vibes were positive during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with Bangladesh interim leader Dr...
Leaving home
23 Dec, 2024

Leaving home

FROM asylum seekers to economic migrants, the continuing exodus from Pakistan shows mass disillusionment with the...
Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...