Asks if govt taking any measur­es to allevi­ate hardsh­ips of citize­ns who owe money to banksISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has questioned if the state is fulfilling its duties of care and rescue during the ongoing lockdowns that are imposed to stop the spread of contagious novel coronavirus but have also rendered thousands of people jobless. It, therefore, may have given rise to a situation where the state owes a ‘duty of care’ and ‘duty to rescue’ towards those who have obtained loans from the microfinance entities,” said the IHC in a written order on Friday. The applicant, Rafiqur Rehman, had said the banks are pestering their clients whose incomes have shrunk by the cessation of business activities. He had requested the court either to waive the loan installment or suspend them till the pandemic is over. “[State officials must] explain whether the state owes a “duty of care” and “duty to rescue” towards the small and medium enterprises during the lockdown period.

Source: The Express Tribune April 11, 2020 06:22 UTC