Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday urged people to celebrate the upcoming Eidul Fitr in a “simple way” as the number of Covid-19 cases in the province neared 20,000.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Shah asked people not to travel to their villages for Eid so the spread of the virus could be contained.
He said that the spread of Covid-19 in cities has already overburdened the health system of the country. If the virus spread in villages, where health resources were scarce and access to facilities was difficult, it would be tough for the government to cope with the crisis.
He further asked people not to go shopping for new clothes, saying that he would also not wear new clothes on Eid.
“It’s alright if you don’t wear new clothes. I was surprised to hear comments like ‘you may not want to wear new clothes, others might’ […] How would it look if I get new clothes while a daily wage worker who was affected cannot afford it?” he questioned.
Shah said that he was dedicating this Eidul Fitr to frontline workers, “all the doctors, paramedics, nurses, ward boys, police and other security officials” who were working to combat the virus, adding that people could give healthcare workers a “gift on Eid” by staying home.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan should also make a national announcement calling for people to celebrate Eid with simplicity. “I have said from the first day that there should be a national narrative.”
