- There is no way if there is no will
The Sindh Chief Minister’s appeal for a three-day voluntary lock down was highly successful on Saturday. Shopping areas and government and private offices remained closed in Karachi. People remained confined to their homes and there were few vehicles on the road. This showed that with a dedicated and persuasive leadership a longer lockdown is also feasible, provided the vulnerable sections of society are ensured free and regular supply of food and medicines. In his address to the nation on Tuesday the Prime Minister had complained that the national economy was recovering from a very difficult time and it was therefore decided not to lock down the cities. It is apparently lack of will or loss of nerve on the part of Prime Minister Imran Khan, rather than paucity of resources, that stops the government from taking bold decisions. With big donations coming from the USA and China, and the World Bank and ADB together pledging $588 million for Pakistan’s fight against the pandemic, the government could have looked after the needs of the deserving during the period of lockdowns if it really wanted. Pakistanis’ philanthropy, that Mr Khan often talks about, could have also helped.
The Balochistan government has meanwhile announced partial lockdown. All shopping malls, crowded markets, restaurants as well as public transport within and between the cities, will remain closed for three weeks.
The two provinces directly ruled by the PTI have taken no credible measures to reduce social interaction which could exacerbate the spread of coronavirus. The Punjab government has not gone beyond restricting the public’s entry into parks and recreational spots like Murree. Shopping malls and hotels however remain open till 10 pm. Business areas in Lahore like Hall Road continue to draw milling crowds till late in the evening. There is no preparation for anything like a lockdown either in Punjab or KP.
With coronavirus cases in Pakistan increasing at a fast speed, the federal government needs to review its position regarding free mixing of people and the need for sequestration of large sections of population for testing that alone can stop the fast advance of the disease in Pakistan.
No comments:
Post a Comment