Inauguration of Rashakai SEZ postponed amid rise in Covid cases

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health and Finance Minister Timur Saleem Khan Jhagra has said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has cancelled the inauguration of Rashkai Economic Zone (REZ) in the wider public interest as coronavirus cases are on the rise again.

“We have entered the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The country cannot afford a complete lockdown and precautions must be taken,” he added.

Jhagra said that coronavirus SOPs must be followed if businesses are to be saved, adding that KP Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan has also cancelled all his public functions after reviewing the coronavirus situation.

He said that the second wave of covid was growing, adding that the rate of use of ICU beds was 11 per cent in mid-October, which is now 24pc.

He advised that the opposition should also cancel public rallies to avoid a sudden rise in cases. “The opposition should not endanger the lives and properties of the people and cancel their public gatherings,” he added.

He maintained that the Rashkai Economic Zone was the first industrial zone under CPEC which would create more than 200,000 jobs.

Aziz Buneri
Aziz Buneri
Aziz Buneri covers financial, social, political and regional issues for Pakistan Today and Profit. He can be reached at [email protected]

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