Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that to ensure that food-supply chain was not affected in the country; the government would open the essential industry in phases.

Talking to media persons during a visit to a quarantine Centre here at the Jinnah Hospital Lahore on Saturday, Dr Firdous said that the government was in consultation with the industry to chalk-out Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) regarding health and hygiene of the workers before granting permission.

The government had lifted ban on the goods transport for maintaining uninterrupted food supply, she said while responding to a question and added that the permission for wheat reaping and the allied industry was part of government’s efforts to save the country from impending economic challenges.

About the construction industry, the SAPM said the grant of status of industry to the construction sector was a decision aimed at providing jobs to the unemployed labour in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, adding that the government had earmarked Rs 280 billion for procurement of 8.2 million ton wheat in the country to spearhead economic activity.

To yet another query, Dr Firdous said that she had visited the hospital on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan to show solidarity with the doctors, paramedics and other staff who were the first line of defense against coronavirus outbreak in the country, adding that the whole nation owed to the doctors and the paramedical staff.

She said, “I’ve come to gee up, my medical community” and “Jinnah hospital is linked with Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) which was built by Chinese support.

My visit is symbolic in many ways as the nation, in the war on COVID-19, needs vision like poet of the East Allama Iqbal, strong will of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and friendship like China”, the SAPM on Information responded.