ISLAMABAD, APR 14 (DNA) : – Federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday approved extension in countrywide lockdown to mitigate coronavirus crisis.
The cabinet has decided to extend lockdown till 30th April across Pakistan.
Earlier today, a detailed briefing was given on current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and measures being adopted to combat the disease at National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
Brig (r) Ijaz Ahmed Shah, Minister for Interior, Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Minister for Industries and Production, Omar Ayub Khan, Minister for Energy, Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Economic Affairs, Fakhar Imam, Minister for National Food and Security, Moeed Yousaf, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security, Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health and Abdul Razak Dawod, Advisor to PM for Commerce attended the briefing.
Minister for Planning, development, Reforms and special initiatives Asad Umar chaired the meeting where the forum reviewed progress made so far and future course of action.
Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Chief Ministers of Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan, Chief Secretary Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated through video.
The forum finalized recommendations to be taken up at National Coordination Committee (NCC) for final decision on post April 14 COVID-19 strategy. A detailed analysis and discussion was made by all stakeholders.
The forum discussed guidelines ad SOPs for possibility of phased easing of industries. The forum considered that the implementation on these guidelines and SOPs will be employers’ responsibility while the decision will be made in NCC for final approval.
It was decided that the Ministry of Interior in consultation with Ulemas will formulate guidelines for Ramazan covering aspects including taraveeh, namaz, roza congregations, festivity (Iftari, sehri etc), arrangements of Juma bazar or Ramzan bazar etc., distribution of food items and fitrana by philanthropists.
The forum was informed that to get indigenous manufacturing capacity, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has started developing five different types of ventilators.
It was further informed that eight designs have been submitted for approval while the clinical trials have been started.
The Ministry of Science and Technology, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), and National University of Science and Technology (NUST) will finalize the decision of domestic development of testing kit within 36 hrs.
The forum was also briefed about the medical services allocated by Pakistan Railways including converting seven trains into hospitals and isolation wards.
It was informed that 26 trains are available for plying across the country while 48 Railway hospitals are available including 12 major and hospitals and 36 small dispensaries.
![PESHAWAR, JAN 12 /DNA/ - Owing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's precarious law and order circumstances, the provincial assembly has written a letter to the Peshawar corps commander seeking an in-camera briefing on ongoing operations and the security situation in the province. "The [special] Committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly in the context of the ongoing operations being conducted by the federal government and LEAs in the merged districts of KP," reads the letter issued by KP Assembly Deputy Secretary Tariq Noor, while referring to the Special Committee (on Security) constituted by the house. The committee features more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition and provincial ministers, along with parliamentary leaders of respective political parties. The letter, dated January 8, also points out that the committee has received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the IGP, and now seeks a briefing as part of the consultative process. Letter written by KP Assemblys deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter Letter written by KP Assembly's deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter The KP Assembly's request for a briefing from a senior army commander comes as the province, as stated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a recent media briefing, accounted for nearly 71% of all the terrorist incidents in 2025. The overwhelming share of KP in facing terror incidents, as per the military's spokesperson, was due to a "politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus" in the province. Noting that the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP was resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum — a claim denied by the PTI — Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025, of which 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP. Out of the total 5,397 terrorism incidents reported nationwide in the previous year, as many as 3,811 incidents occurred in KP. The issue of terrorism and military operations has been a point of contention between the PTI's KP government and the Centre in recent times, where the former has time and again stressed a political solution and dialogue, whereas the latter has pressed on with taking action against the terrorists. This is also reflected by the KP Assembly's letter to the Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, which says that the Special Committee (on Security) "acknowledges the importance of security measures but considers that operation alone without broader political, social and developmental initiatives may not ensure suitable peace and stability and could risk further unrest in the province".](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/security-forces-218x150.jpg "KP Assembly seeks Peshawar corps commander’s in-camera briefing on security situation")
 : – Federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday approved extension in countrywide lockdown to mitigate coronavirus crisis.){kind=link}