Pakistan extends lockdown until April 14; will bring back citizens

IN a move to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan has decided to extend the lockdown until April 14.

Reports said that the ongoing lockdown will continue for two more weeks.

The country has reported 2,450 cases and 35 deaths so far.

The federal minister for planning and development Asad Umar announced the extension after a meeting of National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Covid-19.

He added that stranded overseas Pakistanis will be brought back to the country in a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight on Saturday (4).

The passengers will be first tested and sent for quarantine to ensure they do not spread the coronavirus, he added.

Pakistan plans to lift the curbs on international flights will first in the Islamabad airport followed by Karachi.

"Lockdown throughout the country is bearing fruit as number of cases would have been much higher if containment steps were not taken in a timely manner," he said.

As per reports, there are as many as 2,000 Pakistanis stranded in different parts of the world.

The government will operate 17 planes to bring back citizens.