PESHAWAR: Criticising the withdrawal of Covid-19 restrictions, former federal minister Salim Saifullah Khan said it is too early to pull back the restrictions on commercial activities, schools, offices and other workplaces and allowing them to function at full strength.

In a statement issued here Monday, he strongly condemned the decision of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to lift the ban on commercial and educational activities.

He asserted that the government should give priority to public health. This is not the time to allow full commercial activities rather the government should wait until the vaccination of at least 70 pc populations is complete, he advised. Salim Saifullah Khan said the economic health of the country is dependent on public health.

He expressed concerns that the country may face another wave of Covid-19, if SOPs are not followed. The possibility of a third wave cannot be ruled out; we are giving another opportunity to the virus to bounce back.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021