REEMA SHAUKAT
PAKISTAN like many other countries of the world is dealing wisely and courageously with corona pandemic, as such endemic diseases know no boundaries, caste, creed or age. Yet as a global health emergency every country is tryingits bestto deal withthislethal disease which appears with ordinary flu like symptoms but if not diagnosed or treated timely, can turn deadly. We have seen in the past few months how China has dealt with this epidemic and now in the hours of need, it is standing with Pakistan to provide all necessary equipment and testing kits for Corona despite ofthe factthatChina’s own economy faced set back because ofCorona.We have seenChina’s unmatched response and energies when the initial few cases of Corona started coming up. On an immediate basis, emergency response centres were made and we have seen how within days Chinese nation built field hospitals and doctors rendered their services for humanity while imperilling their lives. A video on social media showed how the robots were used to deliver medicine and food to suspects of Corona Virus carrier patients with clear instructions. Such is the level of fight against this COVID-19 virus where many talk and criticize but very few take it up to humanitarian level and go out of the way to save lives of people regardless of class and colour. Considering it a national emergency, even the common Chinese man or anyone at higher official level, generated all necessary measures to save rest of humans around them. We saw schools, airports, markets and streets of China getting barren, people in isolation centres or home bound in initial days but now when China has found the effective treatment and world has witnessed how people are going back home fully recovered and free of this virus, economic and social activities in China are back to normal. Those who did propaganda on China and Corona have got reply with China’s persisting effort to fight back problems with pride. Unfortunately when Pakistan is going through difficult times, some anti-Pakistan elements are constantly looking for excuses, doing propaganda and creating confusion among masses by saying that the Government of Pakistan is just creating tension and fuss about Corona and there is nothing to worry about and they should come out of houses and do whatever they feel like doing. When the world is busy fighting with this biological warfare, PTM seems busy in creating anti-Pakistan agenda. Recently, a social media video has gone viral in which Mohsin Dawar who is also a PTM leader and member Parliament is surrounded by local villagers and there he is misleading public by addressing that Corona is nothing and Government of Pakistan just wants to make money out of this. Pashtun Tahafuz Movement is again trying to come in limelight and threaten Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19 without realizing that this is not state but global health emergency. According to media reports, MNAAli Wazir, another leader of the PTM, has termed the shifting of COVID-19 affected individuals to Dera Ismail Khan and Chaman a ‘conspiracy against Pashtuns’. He also planned to join a protest demonstration in Dera Ismail Khan against shifting of quarantine centre to the city.Mohsin Dawar also criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for establishing quarantine centres in educational institutions. Ali Wazir further tried to tarnish Pakistan Army’s image by alleging that it wants to ‘earn dollars’ through COVID-19 outbreak. While another PTM MPA Mir Kalam Wazir lamented about lack of facilities in North Waziristan tribal districts. If such leaders will mislead public, without understanding that every measure federal or provincial governments are taking is for the safety of public and survival of human kind. Instead of giving education and awareness that how social distancing can help in preventing spread of virus, they are gathering people and thus putting their lives on more risk. If lockdown is announced, then it is definitely one way to control its spread and responsible authorities equally understand how difficult this time is for our economy, daily wagers or those who are paramedics as their lives are most vulnerable too. Quarantine and isolation centres are also facilitated on immediate grounds to place patients with better healthy and safe environment. Pakistan took all necessary measures to control this pandemic including closure of schools, airports, shopping malls, parks or any other public places where the virus is more active via social contact. All political parties and armed forces stand together to ease common man in this hour of crises and giving the wrong impression of money earning through foreign aid and spread of rumours by just one political party exposes their antiPakistan narrative. PTM with its hostile agenda is often conspiring against State of Pakistan and armed forces but in this worldwide disaster, they should at least stop cashing their agenda for the sake of humanity if they claim themselves as the protectors of Pashtun people and their rights. If this Corona was nothing, then this might not have shaken pillars of strong financial prudence of the world or they were not so busy in spending major chunk of their economies on health sector or scientific research to antidote this problem. — The writer works for Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think-tank based in Islamabad.
