Asad Umar faces backlash for comparing transport accident deaths with covid-19

As the countries around the world gradually going towards easing coronavirus lockdown to get businesses and industries going again, Pakistan too, has planned to ease the nation-wide lockdown and the strategies in this regard will be decided after May 9.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar on Sunday said the decision on whether or not the currently imposed nation-wide lockdown should be eased will be taken after taking all the provinces on board.

Meanwhile, Umar has become the latest victim of criticism on social media over his remarks on easing lockdown when he compared transport deaths with the deaths due to global pandemic saying that 4,000 people die in traffic accidents across the country each month but we still allow traffic because it’s necessary.

He added that the coronavirus has not proved as deadly in Pakistan as it has in Europe and the US.

“The fatality rate in Pakistan is far less compared to the United States, the UK and Spain,” he said, stressing that the citizens needed to adopt precautionary measures in order to stem the spread of the virus.

The minister said the economic impact of the lockdown was far more serious on Pakistan’s economy than the western countries.

“In Europe, there have been thousands of deaths and even those countries are now easing restrictions carefully because even those countries know they cannot shut down everything forever,” he added.

The federal minister said the decision to ease the lockdown will be taken in such a manner that it does not paralyse the country’s healthcare system. “Restrictions in the country will be eased gradually in order to provide livelihood to the people.”