RAYYAN BAIG PAKISTAN is a third world country with GDP per capita income of around 1200 $. Its 25% population lives below poverty line, whereas the middle class also struggles to make ends meet. However, Pakistani nation is an astounding nation ie the biggest alms donating nation in the World despite being poor. Innumerable hospitals, shelter homes, free kitchens and educational institutions etc are being run in the country for the poor and destitute people. Not only do they regularly support these organizations, rather they do wonders when any calamity befalls on the nation. Though the people have different religious beliefs and political attachments, but they set aside their affiliations and get united whenever the country is confronted with challenges. They have always stunned the World by showing resilience in the most difficult/ testing times. The speed with which the nation recovered from devastating earthquake of 2005, floods of 2010 and IDP issue surprised the world. When the time comes even those barely making their ends meet dole out more than their capacity for the needy. Hundreds of thousands of poor/ unemployed people are fed by free kitchens across the country round the year. In the face of challenge the nation automatically gets initiated and braces itself to surmount it, and a small push by the leadership acts as a catalyst. This time not only Pakistan but the entire World has been faced with a monster of Coronavirus. China is so far the only country which has won against this menace while others are still struggling desperately. The threat is novice and very alarming with no readymade remedies, therefore requires a unified and wholehearted response from all the segments of the society. The forte of Pakistani nation ie the “Unity under Distress”, which is needed the most under prevailing threatening environment, is unfortunately itself under threat. Regretfully, today Pakistan is the only country where politics is being played even on deadly Coronavirus. Instead of solacing and encouraging the nation, a deliberate efforts seems to be made by certain politicians and media persons to divide and demoralize the nation. Certain journalists/ media houses, especially electronic media, seem to have found this opportunity to wage their personal vendetta against the PM/ government. Sadly, a few are also trying to give the spread of Coronavirus a sectarian tilt. Pakistan is the immediate neighbor and the biggest business partner of China, especially after CPEC, but one of the last countries to catch Coronavirus. The government must have taken some positive steps which prevented even a single Corona patient from the prime epicenter of this virus. The WHO representative also didn’t declare Pakistan’s efforts as one of the world’s best national response program against COVID-19 pandemic, just for nothing. The government along with the Armed forces are doing their best to control the further spread of this virus. The PM has also announced the biggest ever public relief package, despite the financial difficulties, to fight the Coronavirus. The government did fail to preempt the influx of pilgrims from Iran, after Iran’s refusal to quarantine them inside Iran and resultant influx of a large number of pilgrims at remote place like Taftan. A lot could have been done to stop its spread, however, the situation doesn’t warrant any point scoring. One may differ with the government on any issue and has the fundamental right to criticize, but the criticism must not be for the sake of criticism. We are passing through the most difficult time, but we have the potential to come out victorious once again through our unity. There is a need to support the government in its efforts to fight this menace, while highlighting the weakness and suggesting workable positive steps. God forbid, if the government fails due to the lack of wholehearted support by any segment of the society, we all will fail as a nation. Let’s stand united as a nation and forget our differences as the government alone can’t fight Coronavirus. After we come out victorious we’ll have ample opportunities to play politics and resort to media bashing of the government. The LEAs and medical community, which is fighting on the front line at the peril of their lives, are our heroes. They need our wholehearted cooperation to defeat this dreadful virus. Let’s play our part as Pakistanis and forget our political affiliations and media interests for the time being, till we come out victorious.
