Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed denied on Saturday he ever issued a statement about a complete lockdown in Islamabad amid the growing number of coronavirus cases in the federal capital. 

Responding to media reports, Rashid said that decision on a lockdown in Islamabad would be taken only on the recommendations of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). He stated that he had said during his conversation with different news channels that the Islamabad Capital Territory administration could think about smart lockdowns in the virus hotspots in the federal capital if the NCOC recommends so. He said it was NCOC’s domain, not Interior Ministry’s, to decide about a lockdown in Islamabad. 

On Thursday, Islamabad saw the highest number of Covid-19 cases since Nov 26, as 538 people tested positive. Moreover, eight patients lost their lives to the deadly virus in the twin cities. The positivity rate in Islamabad rose to 7.7 percent.