Mahin Azam Khan
The word corona irks more than 7 million people affected by it and many more likely to be, like no other word these days. Amongst the plethora of information that everyone is trying to consume, the new normal is what we all are desperately searching for. A surge in cases, constant warnings by WHO, and fear of overwhelming the health system have proven the debacle performance of the state. This is probably a bona fide claim. A question that needs to be openly entertained is, Is it the state or us? Or Both?
Blaming the state solely is an indication of living in limbo. Despite the government’s advice people managed to hold gatherings pre & post-Eid, clearly violating the basic SOPs. Post Eid officers conducted surprise raids in 155 markets of the city and sealed 582 shops over violations. The existential dilemma of Pakistan being a community-driven society has made social distancing a difficult yardstick to follow. The parameters for success vis-a-vis this pandemic are subjective to population size, awareness, leadership clarity and presence of data.
The fine line was blurred the moment our government asked the citizens to follow the SOPs before flattening the curve. Federal coercion, support of NCOC & health agencies were enough to produce a standardized message on COVID-19. Khan keeps on reiterating 18th Amendment only to realize that at this time being on the same page is what is needed.
Khan by constantly underestimating the impact of Covid-19, instantly switching between lockdown, smart lockdown & no lockdown has further confused the masses who view Corona as a hoax. Hence Karachi Liaquat National Hospital incident seemed justified to the protestors.
The Government succumbed to the demands of religious leaders as well as the elite & powerful industrialists, labelling it as pro-poor strategy. A non-technical question that needs to be answered is “Why do the poor have to choose between starvation and exposure to corona?” Pakistan’s veiled socio-economic differences & complacent attitude with being in the backseat for progression has been exposed during Covid-19.
Since 1951-52 Pakistan’s economy has contracted, by 0.38% in 2020 due to Covid-19 & previous stabilization policies. Further, there is a need to investigate the sources of hot foreign money inflows that created an artificial sense of economic stability previously. The year 2020 is a wakeup call for Pakistan to revolutionize not just our present systems but our extant perspectives as well.
Covid-19 crisis has given Khan a second chance to change the innings & deliver Naya Pakistan by institutionalizing the structure of this country with an additional focus on data collection, healthcare, and education. Albeit none of this can be done by Khan alone, its time the whole nation join hands with him and his government to bring about a change. As Rosemary Brown says “Until all of us have made it, none of us have made it.” It is indeed us and the state.
—The writer is freelance columnist.
