ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday has ordered to continue supply of essential items without interruption during the countrywide restrictions on movement of transport during the pandemic.
He was speaking during his visit to the recently established National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). “There must be no compromise on availability of essential food items and sustainability of supply lines throughout the country,” he said.
The government’s focal person for Covid-19 and Planning Minister Asad Umar and NCOC DG Operations and Planning Maj Gen Asif Mehmood Goraya briefed the prime minister about the latest situation of Covid-19 pandemic, containment measures, and the planned actions.
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Minister for National Food Security Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, SAPM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, SAPM on National Security Dr Moeed Yousaf and senior civil and military officials were present during the briefing.
Khan warned hoarders saying , “Hoarders and smugglers will be made an example.”
The prime minister further emphasised on effective enforcement of the decisions through NCOC for containing Covid-19 across the country.
The NCOC would serve as the nerve-centre for ensuring a unified national effort against Covid-19, and implementing the decisions of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Covid-19.
The committee works as one window operation collating, analysing and processing information based on digital input and human intelligence from across the country. Recommendations based on the available information/ data are then forwarded to the NCC for real-time projections and timely interventions by the NCC. One of the core jobs of NCOC is, therefore, making evidence-based recommendations. The PM at a separate meeting ordered setting up of yet another multi-disciplinary committee for preparing recommendations for NCC, according to another PMO statement.
Khan urged the committee to focus on health management, financial impact, socio-economic and food security, strategic communication and awareness and recommending calibrated and measured responses with the evolving Covid-19 situation.
