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Listen to SC on Covid-19

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RIZWAN GHANI

SUPREME Court is spot-on on the performance of special assistant to PM on health. After sharing a piece from US history and global Covid-19 developments including growing calls for leaders accountability in UK and US for avoidable deaths, destruction of economies and millions of jobs, it is hoped that PM will take necessary steps to uphold rule of law, end black marketing, save further loss of lives, use 3T (test, trace and treat) approach to control virus, strengthen economy and improve public sector healthcare system for future safety. An American president on the last day in his office made his party members judges. The incoming president stopped them from taking oath. The blocked judges got Supreme Court orders in their favor. Country’s top legal aide advised the president that as elected head of state he could legally defy SC orders, but a learned counsel told the president that if he will defy SC orders his office will lose its legitimacy and he cannot rule country without oversight of SC. The president immediately accepted the judges. Trump is right about the WHO despite making it a scapegoat for Covid-19 situation in America. WHO Ebola warning was six months late and as a result of inquiry its leadership was changed. Keeping in view the speed of the spread of the Covid-19 WHO was late once again. WHO updated its account of coronavirus threat on 23 January, confirming human-to-human transmission and declared it a global emergency on 30 January while genetic sequence of Covid-19 had already been released on 11 January and coronavirus deaths were already being reported. And the world including Pakistan has witnessed firsthand the catastrophic fallout of delayed warning in the form of speed of spread of virus, number of affected, deaths, lack of testing and rolling lockdowns. The allied devastation of global economy, loss of millions of jobs, deaths, private broken healthcare exposed by virus in UK and US controlled by corrupt insurance system driven by profits. Governments are not providing PPE to healthcare staff, but are firing them for complaining against it and continue paying management millions in salaries. The western media has called for accountability of their leaders failures in Covid-19 response in UK, US and Brazil. To put accountability calls and reaction against WHO in perspective for Pakistan’s PM, Supreme Court and public, it is important to understand that major countries and the WHO knew about Cherry-red Covid family virus contagion as early as January 2017. Again, a month long simulation was done in mid and late 2019 with four main lessons: 1) policy for response; 2) days and even hours are critical to avoid the spread of virus; 3) coordinated and unified national response; and 4) medical countermeasure strategy is important for success, including social distancing, arranging ventilators and PPE. Since our health experts have international experience, are well-read and well-informed, so it raises serious questions who knew what and when in Pakistan. And what actions were taken in Islamabad by all concerned including PM in Oct-Dec in 2019 when other countries were conducting simulations to deal with a (flu like) virus contagion with deadly speed and no medicine to treat it (Timeline of the coronavirus pandemic and US response, April 16, 2020). Regarding SC observation against special assistant for health a perception was created in some quarters of the media that buck stops with the PM, which was not contradicted by the government, and a federal minister dispelled reports that the PM strictly admonished the gentleman. In wake of media reports calling for the accountability of leaders on Covid-19 related failures, it would make sense to order Covid-19 preparation inquiry in Pakistan also. PM has already ordered inquiry about media campaign against the judiciary. By giving exemplary punishment to the culprits, PM should end culture of pressurizing state institutions for upholding their constitutional duties.Had our health planners at federal and provincial levels done their job properly, Pakistan would have been running like South Korea now. President Moon’s Democratic Party won landslide victory (won 180 of the 300 seats in national assembly) in 15 April 2020 general election. The turnout was 66.2 percent (44 million voted), largest in last 28 years. Moon’s government has won worldwide praise for its handling of coronavirus crisis with their 3T policy (10,560 cases in 51 million population with only half a million tests) and showed that quarantine is not a cure. Experts have given credit to good governance, public sector based health system. Anyone who still thinks that Supreme Court was over reaching its powers is blind. It was a positive step to draw government’s attention toward a deadly virus. It is hoped that PM will revisit the information and the ‘guidance’ given to him on the Covid-19 and the policy direction because worst of this pandemic is yet to come and SC just warned his government. Finally, President Moon didn’t look at west for guidance, he made his own policy and won a very important victory in the war against Covid-19 that is still evolving. Imran is right that common sense should be used to overcome complex problems. Pakistan should stop relying on others and make use of its own resources to deal with such challenges starting with coronavirus. Be aware of Covid-19 challenge as it spreads to the rural area because it affects animals also. Unity, respect for all other state institutions, and self-reliance is the best policy. —The writer is senior political analyst based in Islamabad

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