COVID-19: President visits Parliament House to review SOPs for budget session

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has directed proper implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) against COVID-19 in the Parliament House during the upcoming budget session.

According to a statement, during a visit to the Parliament House building to inspect preparations for the budget session, the President calld for useful measures in Upper and Lower Houses to contain the spread of COVID-19 during the important session.

The President has already summoned the Senate session on June 5, which will coincide with the budget sitting of the National Assembly that has already been convened to meet the same day.

For the budget session, the President asked for taking essential steps such as social distancing, wearing masks and frequent hand-washing.

President Alvi said it would also convey an effective message to public about their representatives taking proper protective steps against the COVID-19.

He urged for putting in-place SOPs for media coverage, both in press gallery and in the outer premises of Parliament House and also proposed an option of video-link for journalists.

The President said he was monitoring the cases of COVID-19 in the country on daily basis and had observed a prickle in diagnosed cases and deaths in last few weeks.

Secretary National Assembly Tahir Hussain briefed the President about the safety preparations in the Parliament House during budget session.

The President was apprised that SOPs on COVID-19 were properly adopted in the previous session of National Assembly as well and the SOPs for budget session will be discussed in the meeting of Business Advisory Committee.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on the occasion said there was a need for raising more awareness in public about COVID-19.

President Alvi also visited the Upper House, where Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani briefed him about the safety measures taken for the sessions.

The President emphasized the implementation of SOPs in the mosque of the Parliament House.