Don’t be careless, wear masks at all times: Imran Khan

The third wave of coronavirus is more dangerous than the first two waves and carelessness can lead to dire repercussions, Prime Minister Imran Khan said.

Before taking calls from the public on Sunday, he urged the nation to be vigilant as the country battles the third wave of the deadly virus.

“God has saved us from a very difficult time,” the premier said. “If the wave in Pakistan was the same as that in Brazil, America, or Iran, we would not have survived.”

Like these countries, if Pakistan had to impose longer lockdowns, the economy would have suffered tremendously. “No one knows how long the third wave will last and it’s important to be careful,” he pointed out.

The prime minister said that the easiest thing to do was to wear a mask. “This is the easiest SOP to follow. Wherever you go, mosques, public transport, classrooms, wear a mask.”

The government is trying to save the poor segments by not imposing lockdowns. “According to reports, in the last one year, over 150 million people across the world slipped below the poverty line,” he revealed.

The PM added that if the virus spreads, lockdowns will become imminent and this will affect poor people the most.

Answering questions on inflation, corruption

Addressing questions from callers, the premier said that the government will be bringing “huge changes” to the Higher Education Commission, clarifying that the previous chairman of the commission was not selected by the PTI government.

We also have to think about what sort of high education we have [to provide],” he said. “Buildings don’t just bring quality education; it also depends on what type of degrees they are handing out to students.”

Coming to inflation, PM Khan said that the price of vegetables and other food items was on the rise because farmers were selling their produce at higher prices.

“The middlemen are the ones making a lot of money from this,” he said, promising that the government is working on an agricultural policy which will be introduced by next year. 

The premier pointed out that for the first time, the government is taking action against hoarding mafias. “The FIA completed its inquiry for the first time revealing how a few people hoard basic food items so their prices skyrocket and they make profits out of it,” he said. 

Answering a question on corruption, the prime minister said that corruption was “like cancer”. Referring to a UN report, he said that a total of $1,000b was sent to developed countries from poor states each year through corruption and money laundering. 

He said that the entire country was fighting a war against corruption. “Imran Khan can’t alone fight this war. We are all in this together.”

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/04/dont-be-careless-wear-masks-at-all-times-imran-khan/