Laborers are roaming freely without any work opportunity in Lahore over fears of Coronavirus.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-March 20th, 2020) The measures announced by the government have made it difficult for the laborers to find any work opportunity amid fears of Coronavirus.
The people have refused to hire services of laborers and workers fearing that their presence at home or work place could spread the virus.
“Where we go people say that they don’t need any worker,” says a laborer who was standing at a roadside in Lahore, and was looking depressed.
“It is very hard to earn two-time meal for the children in this age,” he further says. Another laborer says there is no opportunity for work.
Hundreds of laborers are roaming freely in the streets of Lahore as no one is hiring them due to virus.
“Of course, there is pandemic everywhere. Care is must. But you know bread and butter is equally important,” said another laborer. “Person doesn’t care when he is hungry,” he further sttates.
“We have closed our business and work due to the virus and therefore, we don’t need any worker,” Hashim Ali, a laborer says, adding that they sit all day on the road but no opportunity came there way.
Mukhtar Ahmad, a resident of Mozzang who is a painter, states that the situation has worsened after Coronavirus as there is no labor anywhere in the city. “It is almost lockdown and where should we go now,”.
Two days before, the Punjab government shut down all major shopping malls and shops in order to control spread of novel Coronavirus in the city. The shutting down of shopping malls and shops in different parts of the cities have left many people jobless for the time being. The government, on other hand, has not announced any policy if this pandemic increased.
Azfar Shehzad who is a vendor shares his ordeal saying that he goes to the streets to sell cones and ice-cream but this pandemic has suspended his work.
“Children do not come out of their homes. There are some places where children are seen but they are also avoiding to buy any cone,” says Azfar. He says it has become quite hard for him to meet daily expenses at home.
“Never thought that such days will come,” he adds.
