MALIK ASHRAF
WITH its burgeoning onslaught Corona Virus has become a global disaster like the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-20 atthe fag-end of the World War-I which is estimated to have consumed nearly fifty million lives in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Brazil, South Pacific and India. With no vaccine available to cure the people infected with the virus and no possibility of its development and availability before next eighteen months, God knows how long it will take to overcometheimpending disaster and howmany lives will be lost by then. It has become an existentialist issue for the human race and needs humanitarian solidarity among allthe nations ofthe world, setting aside the existing hostilities and enmities.Though the situation in USA, Europe and Asian countries is also deteriorating day by day but Italy and Iran are the most affected countries at the moment which need greater attention and help. But it is really regrettable to note that while the countries of the European Union and USAare readily inclined to render all possible help to Italy, Iran has been singled out to be subjected to more sanctions and pressure by the US. Brian Hook Washington’s point man for Iranian Affairs has reportedly has said,” Our policy of maximum pressure on the regime continues”. It is the worst manifestation of giving preference to one’s geo-political and strategic interests over the humanitarian causes which represents a blot on the much trumpeted humanitarian credentials of the United States. To put it in simple terms it is cruelty toward humanity.Politics and clash on strategic and geo-political interests can wait for better times. Whatever happens till the virus could be tamed or eliminated one thing is certain that the devastation wrought by it would have impacted the less-developed countries more profoundly than the developed nations which due to their economic strength, state of the art health facilities and infrastructure as well as their advancement in medical sciences are in a better position to assimilate the shock and orchestrate adequate preventive and revival responses. Iran is in tremendous difficulty due to the US sanctions and is finding it extremely hard to cope with the situation due to its restricted ability to muster required resources and import of the equipment required for screening, detection, building of quarantine infrastructure and treatment of the virus. How serious is the situation in Iran is amply proven by the fact that the Iranian President has written to the Prime Minister Imran Khan for help in having the sanctions eased. Prime Minister Imran Khan very rightly, responding to the Iranian request, has appealed to the US for relaxing sanctions against Iran. Addressing the media persons on Friday in a briefing session on Corona Virus he said,” “I will stress and insist that the international community should lift the sanctions on Iran. It is very unjust. They are dealing with such a large outbreak on one side, and on the other they are facing international sanctions”. Prime Minister Imran Khan has very good personal relations with President Trump who on numerous occasions has acknowledged the equation between them and also praised the role played by Pakistan under the stewardship of Imran Khan for facilitating US-Taliban dialogue and for its overall peace promoting initiative in the region. Hopefully his appeal will be heeded. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also urged the global community to come forward to help Iran in dealing with the hydra-headed disaster. China has added her voice in regards to humanitarian relief being given to Iran under the prevailing circumstances. The virus has already taken more than 1500 lives and the number is rapidly increasing with every passing day. It is an irrefutable reality that US sanctions against Iran imposed in the backdrop of wriggling out of the nuclear deal with the latter by President Trump, which was signed by the US, Iran, France, Germany, UK, EU, China and Russia in 2015 after arduous and protracted negotiations, were uncalled for and unjust . The unilateral repudiation of the deal by President Trump was not appreciated by the other signatories who, in fact, have been trying to salvage it urging the US to honour her commitments. Reportedly in view of the unfolding situation, Germany also favours easing of sanctions against Iran and has indicated that it would raise the issue at the upcoming G-7 moot. I think other countries including EU should also put their weight behind this initiative in the interest of strengthening unified action by the global community to grapple with the once in a century pandemic which is the need of the hour.The global community and the UN also need to express solidarity with the people of Iran and urge the US President to revisit the policy on sanctions. The US allies which are implementing the US sanctions against Iran also need to take a more humanitarian view of the situation. The precarious circumstances in Iran demand that the world community should fight the contagion collectively and let essential supplies into Iran to save human lives. It surely is the time for the nations to move beyond their narrow considerations and think purely along humanitarian lines. The US as a sole superpower has an obligation towards the global community including Iran in this hour of humanitarian crisis to show magnanimity by putting aside the contentious issues between the two countries and lead the fight against the deadly pathogen from a collective platform. — The writer is freelance columnist based in Islamabad.
