MOHAMMAD JAMIL
SINCE the outbreak of Corona Virus, opposition parties have been blaming the government of not showing seriousness in taking measures to fight the Corona Virus; however, there is now realization that joint efforts are required to fight the sensitive virus. Of course, Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken the opposition on board; and his government’s efforts in tackling the situationis being praised by all and sundry. PrimeMinister Imran Khan has more than once addressed the nation on government strategy and current development with regards to the global Corona Virus pandemic. PM Imran Khan said, “A lockdown is not being considered as 25% population of Pakistan is below the poverty line that cannot survive if a 14-day closure of the country occurs”. In fact, he said ‘no’ to lockdown at the present; yet short of lockdown he has taken all precautionary measures demanded by the crisis. On Thursday, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while addressing a press conference in Sindh Assembly said, “Unity is the need of the hour and a joint strategy to combat the virus will have to be developed for efforts to be effective.We must not have our energies and focus geared towards criticism, blame and political scoring”. He also gave suggestions to the federal government for mitigating the spread of COVID19 by focusing on social distancing and isolation, and to maximise testing capabilities – a two-pronged approach. It is important to remember that the disease does not only affect the elderly and those with underlying conditions but can affect anyone. Some positive vibes were also observed in the statements of PML-N leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbassi and Khawaja Saad Rafique who said challenges are to be met by united efforts. PrimeMinister ImranKhan onThursday decidedto form a Joint Parliamentary Committee to deal with Corona Virus epidemic.TalkingtoNationalAssemblySpeakerAsadQaiser, who called on him in Islamabad, he said that the JPC will comprise lawmakers from the Treasury and the Opposition Benches. He advised the masses to follow safety instructions issued by the government, adding that there is no need to panic about the novel Corona Virus. On the occasion, he laudedChina’scooptationin dealingwiththe pandemic.Last week,the 230thCorpsCommanders’Conference discussed the latest Corona Virus situation and preventive measures taken at the army level. PakistanArmy has helped establish a quarantine facility at Karachi’s Expo Centre, which can caterto 1100 patientsas of now.COASGeneralQamar Javed Bajwa directed all concerned to contribute to the national effort to counter the pandemic in case of any eventuality. Last but not the least, risking their lives amid the Corona Virus outbreak, our doctors and paramedics in Pakistan’s various isolation units and wards reserved for Corona Virus patients are waging an epic battle. They are doing this despite the fact that not all of them have received adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like specialized uniforms, masks and other protective equipment. Barring a few statements by the self-styled analysts and small number of opposition leaders blaming the government of not displaying seriousness on the threat of Corona Virus, almost all sections of the people have appreciated the role played bythe government anditsinstitutions.They realize that Pakistan does not have the resources to match the efforts and allocations by the US and western countries; and despite their technical prowess and scientific achievements the situation there was not any better, and cannot be described as satisfactory. In January 2020,the worldlooked on asChina grappled with an outbreak that seemed to be spiralling out of control. Two months later, the situation is markedly different. After aggressive testing and quarantine efforts, China’s outbreak of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) appears to have been levelled out, as no more cases have been reported for the last week in Wuhan (China) from where the virus started. Now, numerous countries around the world are in the beginning stages of managing their own outbreaks. 15March 2020marked a significant statisticalmilestone, as confirmed cases of COVID-19 outside of China surpassed the Chinese total. At the present, 39 countries have crossed figure of 100 confirmed cases, with many more countries on the cusp. By comparing infection trajectories from 100 case mark, we’re able to see a clearer picture of how quickly virus is spreading in various countries. Anyhow, all the countries on this tracker are united behind a common goal – stamping out COVID-19 as soon as possible. However, each country has its own approach and unique challenges whenit comesto keepingtheir population safe. Of course, countries that are just beginning to experience exponential growth in case numbers have the benefit of learning from mistakes made elsewhere, and adopting ideas that are proving successful at slowing the rate of infection. But there is no denying that Pakistan is facingmultifaceted crisis vis-à-vis economic and social due to the mess created by the ruling elite over last seven decades. However, nation has the resilience to absorb shocks and has will and determination to come out of crisis. Barring a few statements by the self-styled analysts and small number of opposition leaders blaming the government of not displaying seriousness on the threat of Corona Virus, almost all sections of society have appreciated the role played bythe government anditsinstitutions.They realise that Pakistan does not have the resources to match the efforts and allocations by the US and Western countriesto fightthe NovelCorona Virus; and despitetheirtechnical prowess and scientific achievementsthe situationthere cannot be described as satisfactory. —The writer is a senior journalist based in Lahore.
