ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 (APP): Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar Wednesday urged the national political leadership to demonstrate responsibility in containing COVID-19 in the country.

“The national political leadership across the political spectrum needs to demonstrate leadership to send a message to the entire nation for taking preventive steps and follow Standard Operative Procedures (SOPs)”, he said in his tweet.

The minister who also chairs the meeting of National Command and Control Center (NCOC) for Corona, said that the Center had once again recommended to ban all large public gatherings and rapid increase in positivity required urgent steps to save lives and livelihoods.

“Since mid October, when National Coordination Committee (NCC) first considered the NCOC recommendation to ban large public gatherings, the daily cases have nearly tripled.”

He said consensus needed in NCC for taking this decision, which had been delayed due to lack of consensus.