KARACHI – As the number of corona-affectees is going up in various parts of the country, the Interior Ministry has ordered the deployment of army in all provinces, federal capital, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK.
This is the latest measure taken by the government to contain the contagion.
The step has been taken under Article 131-A of the Constitution.
Earlier, Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Monday that Prime Minister Imran Khan approved provincial governments’ requests seeking military in aid of civil power.
Punjab and Balochistan joined Sindh in requesting the army’s help to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak in their respective provinces as majority of the country goes into lockdown.
Sindh has undergone complete lockdown on Monday while Punjab and Azad Jammu Kashmir governments have announced complete lockdowns from Tuesday.
On Monday night, the corps commanders of the Pakistan Army met held a video conference meeting to discuss the situation arising out of coronavirus outbreak in the country. Presiding over the Corps Commanders Conference at Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said the army would continue to serve and safeguard the nation.
He said nothing could defeat a responsible and courageous nation. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), media wing of the Pakistan Army, coronavirus outbreak in the country was the sole agenda of the conference.
The corps commanders attended the conference through video link and reviewed the measures for protection of people and prevention of novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The participants in the conference also reviewed Pakistan Army’s preparedness to help the civil administration.
They directed contingents of the Pakistan Army to be ready along with medical supplies to help the civil administration on a short notice.
