ZUBAIR QURESHI
President Dr Arif Alvi has expressed confidence that Pakistani nation with unity and discipline will defeat coronavirus and life in the country would return to normal very soon. Dr Arif Alvi was addressing as Chief Guest the ration boxes distributing ceremony among the coolies (loaders/porters) at the Rawalpindi Railway Station on Thursday. Some 3,000 ration packs containing almost all the food items and necessary items were distributed on the occasion. Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Sania Nishtar, Managing Director (MD) Pakistan Baitul-Mal Aon Abbas Buppi and Country Director Islamic Relief Umair Hassan also attended the ceremony besides the railway loaders. The president hoped once the challenge is over, the railway would revive its usual operations and overcome the losses once the pervading situation ends. He also lauded the pro-poor efforts of Minister for Railways Sh Rashid Ahmed and said the whole nation was united in this hour of crisis to help the poor and the needy. The president called for showing unity and discipline to face the Covid-19 challenge, exemplifying the role of German and Japanese people who had rebuilt their countries after Second World War through their hard work and unity. Pakistani nation would successfully sail through the crisis of Covid-19 pandemic as multiple challenges in the past had chiseled it into a brave and steadfast nation, he said. The ration box distribution ceremony was organized by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM). The president said Pakistan’s humanitarian and peace efforts started from hosting millions of Afghan refugees to fighting out terrorism and sectarianism and during all this while the Pakistani nation stood steadfast against all hardships. With the cooperation of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, the ration packs, containing all basic food items, were provided by the donors as well as the Pakistan Army. The president said coronavirus had emerged as global challenge and being a developing economy, Pakistan could not give relief package worth trillions of Dollars like the developed countries; however, the government was providing cash assistance worth Rs 12,000 each among 12 million worst-hit families to help them feed their families. The way, the Pakistani nation braved the hardships was unprecedented in the history, he added. The president, earlier inspected the train converted into the quarantine facility to support the government in its anti-Covid19 operations, said though the ratio of coronavirus cases was lower than the feared estimates, however the people should show no laxity towards the precautionary measures with frequent hand washing and social distancing above all. He said a decision regarding the Tarawih prayer would be taken on April 18 after consultation with Ulema. He also advised the countrymen to give out maximum alms and zakat during the holy month so that the support system for the needy could continue working. Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed lauded the role of the loaders and their hard work and thanked the MD Bait-ul-Mal and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa who had donated 3,000 ration bags for the railway loaders. Dr Sania Nishtar said the world was faced with an ordeal but the nation would sail through it with all out support by the government. She said under Ehsaas, an Emergency Cash Programme had been launched to support 12 million families and the ration distribution scheme would also be launched by next week. MD Bait-ul-Mal Aon Abbas Buppi said as per Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directives, the government was targeting the most vulnerable segments of the society who had been badly hit by the closures of their workplaces during the lockdown. He said as the railways workers also faced an adverse economic impact owing to the suspension of trains operations, so the PBM decided to distribute ration bags among them across the country
