PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday urged employers to give daily-wage labour their full salaries during the coronavirus shutdown.

He made these remarks while speaking at a press conference in Karachi. He urged the employers to not fire their daily-wage labour and said that is their responsibility to ensure payment of their wages.

Addressing concerns that the partial lockdown of the city could cause problems for such people in acquiring food items, he said that the government would deliver rations to their homes.

"The war against coronavirus will be fought on two fronts: controlling the spread of the virus and mitigating the economic damage the virus will cause," he said. Urging the federal government to help all the provinces, Bilawal said that any steps would only be effective if the country was united.

"The federal government needs to tweak its strategy. Even countries that have world-class healthcare systems have been overwhelmed. We need mitigation and mass testing, we do not have the capacity for it. We need as many kits as we can." He added that the federal government should take a "proactive, interventionalist" approach to deal with the virus".

Referring to recent cuts in interest rates to 12.50 per cent, announced by the State Bank of Pakistan on Tuesday, he said that it was not enough, adding that the government needs to take concrete steps [to deal with] "the economic fallout from the virus."

Talking about the partial lockdown in the province, Bilawal said that Sindh is easing towards a "self-imposed and government-advised" lockdown for 14 days and expressed the hope that the federal government would extend support.

The PPP chairperson urged people to practice social distancing, isolation and "whatever can be done to flatten the curve". He directed all party MNAs and MPAs to practice social distancing in their constituencies and use their influence to create awareness about the virus.

Replying to a question about the federal government's response to the virus, Bilawal said that it was not the time to criticise the prime minister, adding that there was a need for increased coordination and unity.