AS people of Pakistan are rejoicing return to normalcy after several months of uncertainty triggered by Covid-19, there is an overwhelming impression that the credit for successfully navigating the country out of hot waters goes to Prime Minister Imran Khan who struck to his policy of smart lockdown despite criticism by his political opponents. He took the risk of lifting most of the Corona-related restrictions at a time when the entire world was hesitant to step back due to rising cases of infection but in the ultimate analysis his strategy worked and the country is now reaping its dividends.
Prime Minister Imran Khan claims and rightly so that his policy to handle the pandemic was influenced by his concern for not just health but also economic woes of the common man. As lockdown was the only proven mechanism to check the spread of the virus, the Government introduced necessary restrictions on some sectors and activities initially with focus on educating and informing the general public about the dangerous situation. Apart from awareness campaign, which was, in a way, led by the Prime Minister himself, who repeatedly sought cooperation of the masses in tackling the situation, his government also moved swiftly in allocating Rs 150 billion for distribution as cash assistance to families at a time when the economic activities were at a standstill. It was because of timely and transparent disbursement that poorest families did not feel the burden of the situation and effectively managed things during the difficult period. However, mindful of the fact that cash assistance programme has limitations for a resource-starved country like Pakistan, the Prime Minister started advocating for gradual return to normalcy. His stance was seen with skepticism by some sections of the society including doctors as they apprehended that lifting of curbs could result in a surge in infection cases. However, the Prime Minister came out with the idea of ‘smart lockdowns’ in areas of virus concentration, sparing other areas and communities. It was because of successful implementation of this approach that today Pakistan is cited as an example in handling the situation arising out of Covid-19. During his recent visit to Pakistan, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President-elect Volkan Bozkir termed Pakistan’s strategy against Covid-19 a “good example” for the world to follow. Earlier, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner remarked that Pakistan was a role model in addressing the challenge thrown by Coronavirus. No doubt, like other countries of the world, apprehensions are there for a resurge but the successful policy of the Prime Minister sparks confidence about the final outcome.
