ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday congratulated his team for effectively handling the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that led to the country’s lowest unemployment rate in South Asia.
“I want to congratulate my government for the way we handled the COVID-19 pandemic – better than all the countries in South Asia,” he said in a tweet.
The tweet came in response to the survey by South Asia Index based on the World Bank data that showed that Pakistan had outranked other South Asian countries with the lowest unemployment rates.
The survey showed the unemployed population of Pakistan at the rate of 4.3% compared with India (8%), Maldives (6.3%), Bangladesh (5.4%), Sri Lanka (5.9%), Bhutan (5%), and Nepal (4.7%).
Earlier today, the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) data showed that for the first time in two years since the pandemic started in Pakistan, the country reported zero deaths during the last 24 hours.
NCOC data shows that out of the 34,476 tests that were conducted, 443 new cases were diagnosed. Reportedly, 455 patients are still being treated in ICU.
NCOC chief and Federal Minister for Planning and Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that the forum has decided to lift all coronavirus restrictions, including protocols for indoor dining, indoor wedding events and markets, sports activities, and all the other SOPs across Pakistan.
