PAKISTAN will resume domestic flights in a phased manner from Saturday (16) after the government eased some of the restrictions imposed following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The total COVID-19 cases in Pakistan stands at 37,218 and the deadly virus claimed 802 lives so far in the country. The country reported 1430 new cases and 33 fresh deaths in a day.
Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) announced to resume the domestic flights operations from Saturday. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Serene Air will operate flights in the morning and afternoon. It said that 68 flights will operate from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, 32 from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, 32 from Islamabad International Airport, eight from Quetta International Airport and four from Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar.
The Pakistan government last week said that it would begin a phased lifting of the lockdown due to its effect on the economy and the workforce.
After easing the restrictions for the last four days, the Punjab government on Friday (15) imposed a three-day lockdown throughout the province. All markets across the province will remain closed except the grocery stores which will remain open from 9am to 5pm. Medical stores will operate even after 5pm.
So far, 344,450 tests have been conducted, including 13,700 during the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan joined a call by world leaders for a "peoples' vaccine" to combat the coronavirus.
Damian Talbot
Nirmala Sitharaman speaks at the India-UK Investor Roundtable in London last Wednesday (9). On the panel were India’s department of economic affairs secretary Ajay Seth and Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak
Sitharaman with Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves
Sitharaman with Jonathan Reynolds 
Sitharaman with Reynolds, Alastair King, India’s high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and other delegates