Coronavirus lockdown: Poverty rises to 68% in Balochistan

QUETTA: Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani has said that the poverty rate in the province has increased from 40 to 68 percent whereas 400,000 workers also lost their jobs due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Talking to media in Quetta, he said that Balochistan economically is the worst-affected province of Pakistan. “The number of coronavirus infections in Balochistan is steadily increasing,” he added.

Liaquat Shahwani said, “The average number of COVID-19 cases per week is 1,600 to 1,700. Presently, more than 1,200 corona tests are being conducted daily in five laboratories across the province.”

He further said, “The imported cases are 2 percent while the local transmission rate is 98 percent. So far, 287 doctors have been infected with the deadly virus and five have been martyred.”

“Two hundred government officials, 111 police officers and officials, parliamentarians and people from the judiciary have also been affected,” he added.

The spokesperson also said that the demand for oxygen has also increased. “There are some problems in this regard and it is likely that they will be resolved soon.”

Commenting on the repatriation of Pakistanis stranded abroad, he said, “Our people in the Gulf states are worried as there are no flights to Quetta.”

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has assured not to drop any schemes. In the past, priority was not given to CPEC and issues of Balochistan but things will change now,” he concluded.