ZUBAIR QURESHI Pakistan direly needs immediate actions at all levels, from containment to liquidity injection, as well as needs to follow international practices keeping in view the local perspective to cope with Coronavirus pandemic. This was the crux of a virtual roundtable meeting titled, “Responses to Coronavirus Pandemic in Pakistan” organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). Besides the experts on economy, communication and social development, Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza also participated in the roundtable from her office in the virtual seminar. Dr Fehmida Mirza said the government was making all-out efforts to fight the challenge of coronavirus, but more communication, awareness and education of people as how to contain themselves from Coronavirus is the need of hour. She said the country was already under socio-economic stress like poverty, unemployment, unhygienic conditions, drinking water shortages, so ultimately the people will be the sufferers. The minister stressed the need to bring civil-military leadership on one page and work together with provinces setting aside their political affiliations. She said cooperative federalism is necessary at this moment, but unfortunately local governments are missing and we lack effective ways to access the poor and vulnerable communities. She said she would present the findings and policy recommendations of today’s seminar in the Cabinet meeting. SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the government is devising policies to tackle this pandemic, and require doable policy inputs at this stage, so best practices should be adopted as per conditions of the country.
