Key Points: 

• During the first phase of the pandemic, Pakistan was well on track to follow the trajectory of countries severely hit by the virus.
• Due to the decentralisation of the Health Ministry following the 18th Amendment, there has been a lack of singular direction from the Centre in the current situation; leaving it to the provincial governments to execute their decisions in accordance with their interpretation of the situation.
• With people not willing to self-quarantine, clerical establishment resisting in shutting down gatherings at mosques, a limited availability of testing kits and insufficient health infrastructure, the fifth most populous country faces a grave challenge in the form of coronavirus.
• There are several population segments, which cumulatively constitute to about 155 million, which are at higher risk of severity and fatality from COVID-19 infection.
• It remains imperative for federal and provincial governments to synchronise their efforts in a more robust and consolidated manner to decrease the spread of COVID-19.