Islamabad: The COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan has severely impacted the government's efforts to stabilize the economy, the Prime Minister Office (PMO) said in a statement.

In a meeting of the National Economic Council headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday, it was observed that "upward trajectory of Pakistan's economy, which was made possible after huge efforts of the present government, was severely affected by COVID-19 pandemic", Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

The meeting appreciated the steps taken by the government for the revival of the economy especially for protecting the poor segments of society from the adverse impacts of the lockdown, it said.

Addressing the meeting, the prime minister stated that in the wake of the pandemic, the government's main priority is to focus on the sectors which will create job opportunities for the unemployed youth, besides uplifting agriculture sector and upgradation of the public health system in the country.

Khan also underscored the need for employing technology to monitor the progress of the ongoing projects, and stressed the need for ensuring public participation in the development process through the provision of real-time information and getting their feedback on implementation status of the projects, the statement added.

Pakistan has so far recorded 113,702 COVID-19 cases, the second highest in South Asia after India, while the death toll stood at 2,255 (IANS)