ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said:
The government has decided to ease the lockdown in the country considering its impacts on the economy. The National Coordination Committee is the crest COVID-19 decision-making body headed by the prime minister and comprising top civil and military leaders including the provincial chief executives.
The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday, in a meeting chaired by Federal Minister Asad Umar, had proposed easing the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions after May 9.
The NCOC had also suggested the resumption of transportation services across the country.
The NCC meeting, chaired by the prime minister, will review the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic in the country and take a final decision about which sectors should be opened. Earlier, Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh, in an inter-provincial education ministers conference, had disputed reopening educational institutions after June 1.

In the meeting,  Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood, the provinces stressed on keeping educational institutions closed. The meeting remained inconclusive and the matter was left for the NCC to decide. On Tuesday, the Federal Cabinet had approved a proposal about easing country-wide constraint after May 9.

PM Imran Khan had backed the proposal of easing restrictions in the country, keeping in view the hardships being faced by people due to the lockdown.

However, he warned of an abrupt spike in infections if the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not implemented strictly after easing of the lockdown.