Saturday, May 9, 2020
کرونا، لاک ڈاؤن اور کنفیوز حکومت -
تحریر: آفتاب احمد گورائیہ
پاکستان میں کرونا کے مریضوں کی تعداد تیـزی سے بڑھتے ہوئے ستائیس ہزار سے تجاوز کر چکی ہے. روزانہ کی بنیاد پر بڑھنے والے مریضوں کی تعداد بھی اب ہزاروں میں ہے. وفاقی حکومت جو کبھی بھی لاک ڈاون کی مکمل طور پر حامی نہیں تھی اب لاک ڈاون کھولنے کا اعلان کر چکی ہے. اس سے اندازہ لگایا جاسکتا ہے کہ آنے والے چند ہفتوں میں کرونا کے مریضوں کی تعداد کہاں تک پہنچ سکتی ہے.
وزیراعظم اور ان کی وفاقی حکومت کی جانب سے کرونا مینجمنٹ کے حوالے سے شروع دن سے ہی بڑا کنفیوزڈ اور مبہم سا رویہ رہا ہے. کسی بھی موقع پر کبھی بھی وزیراعظم اور وفاقی حکومت کی جانب سے کوئی واضح پالیسی یا گائیڈ لائن سامنے نہیں آسکی.
مارچ کے تیسرے ہفتے جب سندھ حکومت نے پہل کرتے ہوئے صوبہ سندھ میں لاک ڈاون شروع کیا تو وزیراعظم نے اُسی دن اپنی تقریر میں لاک ڈاون کی مخالفت کرتے ہوئے لاک ڈاون نہ کرنے کا اعلان کر دیا. وزیراعظم کے اعلان کے اگلے ہی روز باقی تمام صوبوں نے بھی صوبہ سندھ کی پیروی کرتے ہوئے اپنے طور پر لاک ڈاون کا اعلان کر دیا. اب سوال یہ پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ جب ایک روز پہلے وزیراعظم لاک ڈاون کی مخالفت کا اعلان کر چکے تھے تو پی ٹی آئی کی حکومتوں والے تینوں صوبوں نے لاک ڈاون کا اعلان کس کے کہنے پر کیا؟ پس پردہ وہ کون سی طاقت تھی جس نے وزیراعظم کی مرضی اور اعلان کے باوجود صوبوں کو لاک ڈاون پر مجبور کر دیا؟
لاک ڈاون شروع ہونے کے ساتھ ہی وزیراعظم اور وفاقی وزرا کی جانب سے ہر وہ کام کیا گیا جس سے لاک ڈاون کو کمزور کیا جا سکے. سمارٹ لاک ڈاون کے نام پر کنسٹرکشن کے کاروبار اور دوکانوں کو کھولنے کی بات کی گئی. خانہ کعبہ اور مسجد نبوی بند ہونے کے باوجود پاکستان میں مساجد کو کھلا رکھا گیا اور کبھی بینظیر انکم سپورٹ کے نام پر دی جانے والی رقوم کو بینک اکاونٹس میں بھیجے جانے کی بجائے نقد ادائیگی کے نام پر بڑے بڑے ہجوم اکٹھے کئے گئے. ساتھ ہی ساتھ وفاقی وزرا، گورنرز اور وزرائے اعلی نے درجنوں گاڑیوں کے پروٹوکول میں بینظیر انکم سپورٹ سنٹرز کے دورے شروع کر دئیے. حکومت کے اعلی عہدیداروں کی جانب سے لاک ڈاون کی ایسی کھلی ورزی نہایت اعلی درجے کی غیر ذمہ داری اور مجرمانہ غفلت کا مظاہرہ تھا.
لاک ڈاون کی مخالفت اور خلاف ورزیوں کے علاوہ وزیراعظم کی جانب سے کی جانے والی تقریروں نے عوام میں شعور پیدا کرنے کی بجائے کنفیوژن پیدا کرنے میں اہم کردار ادا کیا. کبھی کہا گیا کہ کرونا کوئی خطرناک وبا نہیں بس عام سا فلو ہے جو صرف بزرگوں کو ہوتا ہے جبکہ نوجوان اس سے متاثر نہیں ہوتے اس لئے اس سے گھبرانے کی کوئی ضررورت نہیں. کبھی کہا گیا کہ کرونا نے پھیلنا ہی پھیلنا ہے لہذا ہم اس کے لئے کچھ نہیں کر سکتے. ملک کے سب سے زیادہ قابل احترام آفس کی جانب سے اس قسم کی غیر ذمہ دارانہ تقریروں نے عوام میں لاک ڈاون کو غیر اہم اور ضروری نہ سمجھنے کی سوچ کو جنم دیا.
میڈیا میں بار بار کرونا کے خلاف ناکام حکمت عملی کا مظاہرہ کرنے والے امریکہ اور یورپی ممالک کا حوالہ دے کر ثابت کیا جاتا رہا کہ لاک ڈاون کا کوئی فائدہ نہیں کرونا کو پھیلنے سے نہیں روکا جا سکتا. وفاقی حکومت کا یہ رویہ جنگ شروع ہونے سے پہلے ہی ہتھیار ڈالنے کے مترادف تھا. کرونا کے خلاف جنگ میں ناکام رہنے والے ممالک کی بجائے اگر کرونا کے خلاف جنگ جیتنے والے ممالک نیوزی لینڈ، آسٹریلیا، سنگاپور، تائیوان، ہانگ کانگ وغیرہ کی مثال قوم کے سامنے رکھی جاتی تو عوام کا حوصلہ بڑھتا، عوام میں شعور پیدا ہوتا، عوام کو یقین ہوتا کہ کرونا کے خلاف جنگ جیتی جا سکتی ہے لیکن افسوس سے کہنا پڑتا ہے کہ وفاقی حکومت اس محاذ پر بھی مکمل ناکام رہی.
لاک ڈاون کے خلاف سب سے بڑی دلیل یہ جاتی ہے کہ غریب اور دیہاڑی دار طبقہ اس سے بہت زیادہ متاثر ہوتا ہے. کسی حد تک یہ بات ٹھیک بھی ہے لیکن سوال یہ بھی ہے کہ اگر آپ کے سامنے بھوک اور موت کی چوائس رکھی جائے تو آپ کا انتخاب کیا ہو گا؟ مانا کہ ہمارے ملک کے پاس اتنے وسائل نہیں کہ غیر معینہ مدت تک لوگوں کو بٹھا کر کھلایا جا سکے یا ان کی امداد کی جا سکے لیکن یہ بھی ایک حقیقت ہے کہ ابھی ہمارے لوگوں میں اتنا جذبہ موجود ہے کہ اپنے آس پاس موجود ضرورت مند لوگوں کا خیال رکھ سکیں. میرا ذاتی خیال ہے کہ غیر سرکاری ذرائع سے اس وقت بھی حکومتی ذرائع کی نسبت غریب لوگوں کا بہتر خیال رکھا جا رہا ہے.
اگر حکومت کی جانب سے پچھلے چھ ہفتے میں مکمل لاک ڈاون کیا جاتا اور سختی سے لاک ڈاون پر عملدرامد کیا جاتا تو آج کرونا کے مریضوں کی تعداد بہت کم ہوتی اور ہم اس قابل ہوتے کہ سمارٹ لاک ڈاون سے ہوتے ہوئے ایس او پیز کی مدد سے لاک ڈاون مکمل طور پر کھولنے کی پوزیشن میں ہوتے.
اب صورتحال یہ ہے کہ موثر لاک ڈاون نہ ہونے کی وجہ سے روزانہ کی بنیاد پر ہزاروں کرونا کے مریض سامنے آ رہے ہیں. اگلے چند ہفتوں میں یہ تعداد کہاں تک پہنچے گی اس کا جواب نہ وزیراعظم کے پاس ہے اور نہ ان کی وفاقی حکومت کے پاس جنہوں نے WHO کی وارننگ کو نظرانداز کرتے ہوئے اور پورے ملک کے ڈاکٹروں کے کہنے کے باوجود لاک ڈاون کھول دیا ہے. اب اس کا نتیجہ جو بھی نکلے اس کی ذمہ داری براہ راست وزیراعظم پر ہو گی.
وزیراعظم اور ان کی وفاقی حکومت کی جانب سے کرونا مینجمنٹ کے حوالے سے شروع دن سے ہی بڑا کنفیوزڈ اور مبہم سا رویہ رہا ہے. کسی بھی موقع پر کبھی بھی وزیراعظم اور وفاقی حکومت کی جانب سے کوئی واضح پالیسی یا گائیڈ لائن سامنے نہیں آسکی.
مارچ کے تیسرے ہفتے جب سندھ حکومت نے پہل کرتے ہوئے صوبہ سندھ میں لاک ڈاون شروع کیا تو وزیراعظم نے اُسی دن اپنی تقریر میں لاک ڈاون کی مخالفت کرتے ہوئے لاک ڈاون نہ کرنے کا اعلان کر دیا. وزیراعظم کے اعلان کے اگلے ہی روز باقی تمام صوبوں نے بھی صوبہ سندھ کی پیروی کرتے ہوئے اپنے طور پر لاک ڈاون کا اعلان کر دیا. اب سوال یہ پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ جب ایک روز پہلے وزیراعظم لاک ڈاون کی مخالفت کا اعلان کر چکے تھے تو پی ٹی آئی کی حکومتوں والے تینوں صوبوں نے لاک ڈاون کا اعلان کس کے کہنے پر کیا؟ پس پردہ وہ کون سی طاقت تھی جس نے وزیراعظم کی مرضی اور اعلان کے باوجود صوبوں کو لاک ڈاون پر مجبور کر دیا؟
لاک ڈاون شروع ہونے کے ساتھ ہی وزیراعظم اور وفاقی وزرا کی جانب سے ہر وہ کام کیا گیا جس سے لاک ڈاون کو کمزور کیا جا سکے. سمارٹ لاک ڈاون کے نام پر کنسٹرکشن کے کاروبار اور دوکانوں کو کھولنے کی بات کی گئی. خانہ کعبہ اور مسجد نبوی بند ہونے کے باوجود پاکستان میں مساجد کو کھلا رکھا گیا اور کبھی بینظیر انکم سپورٹ کے نام پر دی جانے والی رقوم کو بینک اکاونٹس میں بھیجے جانے کی بجائے نقد ادائیگی کے نام پر بڑے بڑے ہجوم اکٹھے کئے گئے. ساتھ ہی ساتھ وفاقی وزرا، گورنرز اور وزرائے اعلی نے درجنوں گاڑیوں کے پروٹوکول میں بینظیر انکم سپورٹ سنٹرز کے دورے شروع کر دئیے. حکومت کے اعلی عہدیداروں کی جانب سے لاک ڈاون کی ایسی کھلی ورزی نہایت اعلی درجے کی غیر ذمہ داری اور مجرمانہ غفلت کا مظاہرہ تھا.
لاک ڈاون کی مخالفت اور خلاف ورزیوں کے علاوہ وزیراعظم کی جانب سے کی جانے والی تقریروں نے عوام میں شعور پیدا کرنے کی بجائے کنفیوژن پیدا کرنے میں اہم کردار ادا کیا. کبھی کہا گیا کہ کرونا کوئی خطرناک وبا نہیں بس عام سا فلو ہے جو صرف بزرگوں کو ہوتا ہے جبکہ نوجوان اس سے متاثر نہیں ہوتے اس لئے اس سے گھبرانے کی کوئی ضررورت نہیں. کبھی کہا گیا کہ کرونا نے پھیلنا ہی پھیلنا ہے لہذا ہم اس کے لئے کچھ نہیں کر سکتے. ملک کے سب سے زیادہ قابل احترام آفس کی جانب سے اس قسم کی غیر ذمہ دارانہ تقریروں نے عوام میں لاک ڈاون کو غیر اہم اور ضروری نہ سمجھنے کی سوچ کو جنم دیا.
میڈیا میں بار بار کرونا کے خلاف ناکام حکمت عملی کا مظاہرہ کرنے والے امریکہ اور یورپی ممالک کا حوالہ دے کر ثابت کیا جاتا رہا کہ لاک ڈاون کا کوئی فائدہ نہیں کرونا کو پھیلنے سے نہیں روکا جا سکتا. وفاقی حکومت کا یہ رویہ جنگ شروع ہونے سے پہلے ہی ہتھیار ڈالنے کے مترادف تھا. کرونا کے خلاف جنگ میں ناکام رہنے والے ممالک کی بجائے اگر کرونا کے خلاف جنگ جیتنے والے ممالک نیوزی لینڈ، آسٹریلیا، سنگاپور، تائیوان، ہانگ کانگ وغیرہ کی مثال قوم کے سامنے رکھی جاتی تو عوام کا حوصلہ بڑھتا، عوام میں شعور پیدا ہوتا، عوام کو یقین ہوتا کہ کرونا کے خلاف جنگ جیتی جا سکتی ہے لیکن افسوس سے کہنا پڑتا ہے کہ وفاقی حکومت اس محاذ پر بھی مکمل ناکام رہی.
لاک ڈاون کے خلاف سب سے بڑی دلیل یہ جاتی ہے کہ غریب اور دیہاڑی دار طبقہ اس سے بہت زیادہ متاثر ہوتا ہے. کسی حد تک یہ بات ٹھیک بھی ہے لیکن سوال یہ بھی ہے کہ اگر آپ کے سامنے بھوک اور موت کی چوائس رکھی جائے تو آپ کا انتخاب کیا ہو گا؟ مانا کہ ہمارے ملک کے پاس اتنے وسائل نہیں کہ غیر معینہ مدت تک لوگوں کو بٹھا کر کھلایا جا سکے یا ان کی امداد کی جا سکے لیکن یہ بھی ایک حقیقت ہے کہ ابھی ہمارے لوگوں میں اتنا جذبہ موجود ہے کہ اپنے آس پاس موجود ضرورت مند لوگوں کا خیال رکھ سکیں. میرا ذاتی خیال ہے کہ غیر سرکاری ذرائع سے اس وقت بھی حکومتی ذرائع کی نسبت غریب لوگوں کا بہتر خیال رکھا جا رہا ہے.
اگر حکومت کی جانب سے پچھلے چھ ہفتے میں مکمل لاک ڈاون کیا جاتا اور سختی سے لاک ڈاون پر عملدرامد کیا جاتا تو آج کرونا کے مریضوں کی تعداد بہت کم ہوتی اور ہم اس قابل ہوتے کہ سمارٹ لاک ڈاون سے ہوتے ہوئے ایس او پیز کی مدد سے لاک ڈاون مکمل طور پر کھولنے کی پوزیشن میں ہوتے.
اب صورتحال یہ ہے کہ موثر لاک ڈاون نہ ہونے کی وجہ سے روزانہ کی بنیاد پر ہزاروں کرونا کے مریض سامنے آ رہے ہیں. اگلے چند ہفتوں میں یہ تعداد کہاں تک پہنچے گی اس کا جواب نہ وزیراعظم کے پاس ہے اور نہ ان کی وفاقی حکومت کے پاس جنہوں نے WHO کی وارننگ کو نظرانداز کرتے ہوئے اور پورے ملک کے ڈاکٹروں کے کہنے کے باوجود لاک ڈاون کھول دیا ہے. اب اس کا نتیجہ جو بھی نکلے اس کی ذمہ داری براہ راست وزیراعظم پر ہو گی.
#Pakistan - #CoronaInPakistan - Failing front line fighters - Doctors and paramedics are accusing the government of not treating them right
On February 26, a student traveled back to Karachi from Iran, becoming the first coronavirus patient in the country. This was Pakistan’s first brush with a novel disease that had already overwhelmed healthcare structures in the most developed of countries.
Experts had been issuing warnings months in advance about the deadly disease.
Now that the Covid-19 was right at our doorstep, it was clear that something needed to be done. Although, the government should have been prepared for dealing with the virus, subsequent events showed that it was not.
Before the arrival of the pandemic, the Punjab government had been engaged in a pitched battle against its own healthcare professionals.
Healthcare workers, under the banner of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA), were protesting the Medical Teaching Institutes Act 2019 (MTI), a legislation meant to revamp the province’s healthcare infrastructure.
The health professionals claimed that the bill would strip them of their “civil servant” status and pave the way for the eventual privatisation of all the medical teaching institutes in the province.
This tussle had been going on for a year. During this time, the frenzied healthcare workers vacillated between negotiations, OPD closures, hunger strikes and street protests.
The government had responded with terminations and issuance of show-cause notices.
The most recent protest had taken place in the first week of March when several cases of Covid-19 had already been reported.
The sorry saga finally came to an unceremonious end when the MTI Act sailed through the Punjab Assembly on March 12, much to the chagrin of healthcare workers. The same day a Covid-19 health emergency was declared in the province.The dynamic shifted overnight. Healthcare workers who were being harassed and intimidated by the police only days ago were declared “frontline heroes”. Government ministers showered praises and the police force presented elaborate tributes. However, this too proved to an eyewash.As the disease spread the number of infected healthcare workers rose rapidly. Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) president Salman Haseeb says in some cases, hospitals had more infected healthcare staff than other patients.
According to a situation report issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued on May 4, Pakistani doctors have emerged as the most-affected ones by coronavirus among their healthcare peers, including paramedics and nurses.
Of the 509 healthcare workers affected by the novel coronavirus, 263 are doctors (52 per cent), 171 paramedics (33 per cent), and 75 nurses (15 percent). Together, they form almost 2.5 per cent of Pakistan’s almost 21,000 Covid-19 cases.
Some 2,663 contacts of the healthcare workers were identified, according to the WHO, and 2,499 of them tested for the virus. Of those who were tested, 194 were diagnosed as positive and the results for 234 are awaited.
As the situation worsened and healthcare workers began to die, demands for proper personal protection equipment (PPE) and well-established quarantine facilities gained traction among the medical community.
On April 10, Sadaf Jamil, a staff nurse at the Gujrat tehsil headquarters hospital, succumbed to Covid-19. Her request for a Covid-19 test had been repeatedly ignored by the administration.
Her death was the main agenda when a delegation of healthcare staff met with Punjab Health Secretary Nabeel Awan on April 16.
The negotiations fell apart and Punjab Grand Health Alliance (GHA) announced a hunger strike at the health secretariat in Lahore.
The two-week sit-in culminated in an agreement on April 30. A government notification promising a “martyrs package” for health workers was issued. The YDA declared victory and its leadership passionately celebrated the agreement - but the reality is far more complicated.
Of the 509 healthcare workers affected by the novel coronavirus, 263 are doctors (52 per cent), 171 paramedics (33 per cent), and 75 nurses (15 per cent).
The agreement and the subsequent notification is largely vague and silent on issues pertaining to implementation. “The language of the notification excludes a majority of healthcare workers from the ambit of the martyrs package,” says Dr Shahid, a senior member of the YDA.While the notification focused only healthcare professionals performing corona-related duties a majority of the healthcare workers who had the disease were, in fact, working outside the corona wards,” he says.Dr Jamal, a house officer serving at the Mayo Hospital, agrees. “It’s not uncommon for corona patients, especially those with co-morbidities, to slip through the triage process and end up in the emergency room” he says. Such a slip can mean disaster for healthcare workers.
“Since the hospital administration prioritises the provision of PPEs to personnel performing corona-related duties, those in the ERs are often left without PPEs,” he says.
Dr Jamal says he himself had come into contact with suspected coronavirus patients in the ER several times.
The agreement also excludes a large segment of the junior hospital staff.
“Hospitals typically outsource cleaning operations to outside contractors who bring in their own janitorial staff. Even in normal times, this staff is not eligible for any government benefits. It is outright excluded from the meagre protections offered by this agreement” says Shahid Butt, the Punjab Paramedics’ Associations president.
Such is the situation of people who are charged with disinfecting our hospitals amidst a pandemic.
“It’s not just the janitors, paramedics and security guards too are hired through such third-party contracts.” Shahid says.
There are reports of several such employees working even after showing symptoms of Covid-19 because they have not been provided with sick leave.
Young Nurses’ Association (YNA) president Sobia highlights another important fact. The government and hospital administrations have been negligent in testing healthcare professionals.
“In the absence of a timely and accurate testing regime, notifications like the ‘martyrs package’ are pointless,” she says.
According to the agreement, after a health professional succumbs to the infection, a committee will be formulated to “investigate” the reason of their demise. The committee will “scrutinize” the duty rosters, attendance registers and the clinical record of the health worker to assess their eligibility for the package.
Such an exercise will be not be needed if health professionals are periodically tested, or at least tested when they overtly show symptoms of the disease like in the case of Sadaf Jamil.
A cursory glance at the signatories to this agreement reveals an even bigger loophole. The agreement and the notification were signed by the Specialized Health Care and Medical Education Department (SHC&MED) and apply only to those employed directly by the department or those working in facilities being run by the department.More than half of Punjab’s population lives in rural areas. The basic healthcare units (BHUs) and rural health centres (RHCs) serving these people are the backbone of our healthcare system.
These BHUs and RHCs are run by the Punjab Health Facilities Management Company (PHFC) and not by the SHC&MED.
This means that the healthcare professionals manning our rural health infrastructure are not even a party to this agreement.
“I don’t know of any agreement; it does not apply to me,” says Dr Salman, a doctor working at a BHU in Pakpattan.
The situation at BHUs is dire. “While performing duties at a quarantine centre in Pakpattan with several confirmed Covid-19 patients, eight of us were issued only one N-95 mask and a 100 ml bottle of hand sanitizer every three days,” Dr Salman says. These professionals were posted on screening duties at hotspots like the Baba Farid shrine without thermal guns or PPEs.
“My colleagues and I worked eight-hour shifts for 40 days non-stop without PPEs. Finally, when many of us, including me, came down with symptoms, we were sent home on a 14-day leave,” says Dr Salman, still in self-isolation at his house. The recent agreement is a temporary fix. As the number of infected healthcare staff is increasing by the day, the agreement looks extremely fragile. Widespread grievances persist.
At a press conference held by the medical fraternity of the Lahore General Hospital, the government was called out on a lack of provision of PPEs after at least 20 professionals tested positive in 24 hours.
The government was given a 12-hour ultimatum; no doctor will work in any setting (emergency or OPD) without proper PPEs.
The government must seriously address the needs of healthcare workers.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/655851-failing-frontline-fighters
Naya Daur Questioned Official Data In The Punjab, Govt Spox Resorted To Trolling
While we appreciate all the steps taken by the provincial government, gaps in public health data cannot be ignored even if it riles up the spokespersons.
For the record, we made repeated attempts to reach the health minister and her spokesperson. We also informed them via text messages why we were trying to contact them but neither of the two responded. Now Punjab CM’s focal person quotes a random statement by a doctor and claims to have debunked the story. Instead of properly investigating the claims made by the doctors, government servants are trying to discredit the story with such tweets.
Naya Daur did the story in good faith and stands by the findings of our reporter. Even now if the health authorities want to deny what the doctors are saying, we are willing to publish that version. But cyberbullying is condemnable and only reflects the approach of the government towards citizen journalists. We request the state and judicial authorities to take notice of the report and take action against those found guilty of playing with human lives.
https://nayadaur.tv/2020/05/naya-daur-questioned-official-data-in-the-punjab-govt-spox-resorted-to-trolling/
#CoronaVirusPakistan - Confirm #coronavirus cases rise to 28,733 in Pakistan
The COVID-19 caseload in Pakistan had reached 28,733 with more than 750 new cases reported during last 24 hours, an official of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on coronavirus said on Saturday.
Sharing the data, he said that total 636 deaths had been reported from the disease with 24 reported during last 24 hours.
He said that 7,756 patients had been recovered. He added total 270,025 tests had been conducted while in last 24 hours 12,982 tests were conducted.
He said 10,771 cases were reported from Sindh, 10,471 from Punjab, 4,509 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 609 from Islamabad, 421 from Gilgit Baltistan, 1,935 from Balochistan and 79 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
He said that in total confirmed cases, 7,576 active cases were reported from Sindh, 6,149 from Punjab, 3,073 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 533 from Islamabad, 120 from Gilgit Baltistan, 1,630 from Balochistan and 19 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
He said that 175 deaths had been reported from Sindh, 191 from Punjab, 221 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four from Islamabad, three from Gilgit Baltistan, 24 from Balochistan and no any death was reported from AJK.
He said that 1,940 patients had recovered in Sindh, 4,131 in Punjab, 1,033 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 72 in Islamabad, 298 Gilgit Baltistan, 222 in Balochistan and 60 in AJK.
https://nation.com.pk/09-May-2020/confirm-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-28-733
#CoronaInPakistan - Sindh CM didn't announce lifting lockdown from Monday, Bilawal clarifies
“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has categorically said that Sindh was not ending the lockdown on Monday and “we are entering the second phase of lockdown with some extra restrictions, particularly at hotspots,” the PPP chief wrote on his official Twitter handle on Friday.
“In a statement issued from the CM House, the chief minister said that some media channels were giving the impression that the lockdown was ending on Monday, which was totally wrong. CM said ‘we are entering phase-II under which stricter controls at hotspots were being initiated’,” he clarified in a series of tweets.
“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has categorically said that Sindh was not ending the lockdown on Monday and “we are entering the second phase of lockdown with some extra restrictions, particularly at hotspots.” he said 1/8
“In a statement issued from the CM House, the chief minister said that some media channels were giving the impression that the lockdown was ending on Monday, which was totally wrong. CM said ‘we are entering phase-II under which stricter controls at hotspots were being initiated’,” he clarified in a series of tweets.The statement came a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that the National Coordination Committee (NCC) with the consensus of all provincial governments had decided to end the coronavirus-induced lockdown in different phases starting from May 9. Under the second phase, Bilawal said, “minor exemptions will be given to some sectors such as construction phase-2, and isolated shops in neighbourhoods would be allowed to operate under standard operating procedures issued by the government”.
“He [Sindh CM] categorically added that air, train and public transport would continue to remain closed.”Earlier in the day, while addressing a press conference in Karachi, CM Shah had said Sindh is on board with the federal government’s plan to ease the lockdown and the decisions announced by the NCC will be implemented.
The Centre and Sindh have been at odds over the measures to flatten the coronavirus curve and had unleashed a barrage of criticism against each other. The province is pushing for a strict lockdown while the federal government wants to ease restrictions taking into account their impact on the economy and the lives of the poor.
The Sindh chief minister said shops in residential areas would reopen from Saturday. However, he added, the restrictions on shopping malls, wedding halls, hotels, restaurants and all kinds of public gatherings would remain in place.
“These guidelines will remain in place till May 31 in accordance with the federal government’s directives and we are ready to comply with them.”
He appealed to citizens to remain at home as much as possible despite the lifting of the lockdown and wear a mask if they had to leave.
Shah maintained that the provincial government was not competing against anyone and stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2217166/1-coronavirus-lockdown-will-not-lifted-monday-sindh-govt/
#CoronaInPakistan - PM’s biggest gamble - Jury would be out by end of June
Those supporting the easing of the lockdown consider it a landmark decision by Prime Minister Imran Khan to help millions of workers who have been rendered jobless and hundreds of thousands of small shopkeepers and retailers who maintain they were finding it difficult to keep the wolf at bay. PTI supporters firmly believe that the relaxations would also help the industry rise like a phoenix from its ashes, providing the much-needed taxes to the government’s empty kitty and bringing in foreign exchange. The opponents have all along maintained that the PTI government was determined to revive the economy through human sacrifice, which is indicative of a sociopathic bent of mind. Mr Khan had finally concluded that people would have to die if he was to save Pakistan’s economy and his own political career. Putting senior citizens in mortal peril was a small price to pay for the grand design.
The phase one of the smart lockdown has begun with Mr Khan promising to restore the restrictions If there was a worsening of the outbreak. What he exactly means by ‘worsening’ is only known to him. Many argue that the pandemic is already worsening as shown by the sharp rise in the graph of the infections and deaths.
Industrial and business activities have been given a go ahead. SOPs have been suggested to control the spread of the pandemic. But there is no information about any oversight or implementation mechanism having been put in place. There are already several reports about the violation of the SOPs in mosques. On Tuesday, over 450 mosques and imambargahs in Rawalpindi district were served notices by the police for not implementing the guidelines. The mischief is likely to have been done meanwhile.
The Punjab government is determined to open all industries connected with construction besides opening small markets and shops across the province. In Sindh APTMA has called for opening the entire textile value chain to restart production without any delay. Who will monitor thousands of large, medium-sized and small production units in Punjab and Sindh? Will violations on industrial and business premises too receive no more than a slap on the wrist as has been the case with mosques?
'Victim Of A Sinister Campaign': Pakistani Journalists Face Retribution Even In European Exile
By Frud Bezhan,Daud Khattak
April 10, 2020
Pakistani blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya fled his homeland after he was threatened, kidnapped, and tortured by authorities.But even in Europe, where he has lived in self-imposed exile for over a decade, Goraya fears for his life.
In February, he was physically assaulted by two men outside his home in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, where he lives with his family. Since then, he has received online death threats.
"I always feel in danger of being attacked or becoming the victim of a sinister campaign," Goraya told RFE/RL by phone from the Netherlands. "You always feel that someone is waiting for you on the corner of a street."
The liberal blogger is not alone.
In Europe, there has been a recent spate of attacks and harassment of Pakistani journalists, bloggers, and activists known for openly criticizing authorities back home.
Many have blamed the powerful Pakistani Army and its notorious intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), accusing those institutions of attempting to crush dissent. The military has an oversized role in the domestic and foreign affairs of the South Asian country of around 220 million.
Criticism of the army has long been seen as a red line for the media, with journalists and bloggers inside Pakistan complaining of intimidation tactics including kidnappings, beatings, and even killings if they cross that line.
'Enforced Disappearance'
Pakistan's unprecedented crackdown on the press has forced prominent reporters to seek refuge abroad. But even in self-imposed exile, many face retribution.
The latest case is exiled Pakistani journalist Sajid Hussain, who has been missing in Sweden since March 2. The disappearance of the reporter, who ran an online newspaper in exile, has been linked by a free-media watchdog to his reporting on human rights abuses committed by the Pakistani military.
Hussain, 39, fled into exile in 2012 after reporting on human rights abuses in the southwestern province of Balochistan, which has been plagued by sectarian violence, Islamist militant attacks, and a separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004.
He fled Pakistan after police searched his residence, taking his computer and questioning family members, and intelligence agents visited his associates. Hussain first moved to the United Arab Emirates and then to Oman and Uganda before settling in Sweden.
He had continued to run an online newspaper, the Balochistan Times, from abroad. He covered alleged abuses in Balochistan by the Pakistani Army, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings of political activists and suspected separatists, arbitrary arrests, and torture.
Hussain's family has called on Swedish authorities to investigate the case and find Hussain, who went missing in the Swedish city of Uppsala.
Wajid Baloch, Hussain's brother, who lives in Pakistan, told RFE/RL that it was "too early for us to point fingers at anyone right now" because "we don't have any evidence."
"This is up to the Swedish authorities to find out who kidnapped Sajid," Baloch said, adding that his brother had received death threats while working in Pakistan.
Hussain is from a prominent political family in Balochistan.
His uncle, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, was killed in 2011 while leading a nationalist movement.
Wajid Baloch, Hussain's brother, who lives in Pakistan, told RFE/RL that it was "too early for us to point fingers at anyone right now" because "we don't have any evidence."
"This is up to the Swedish authorities to find out who kidnapped Sajid," Baloch said, adding that his brother had received death threats while working in Pakistan.
Hussain is from a prominent political family in Balochistan.
His uncle, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, was killed in 2011 while leading a nationalist movement.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media-freedom watchdog, suspects that Hussain was abducted "at the behest" of the ISI.
"Considering the recent attacks and harassment against other Pakistani journalists in Europe, we cannot ignore the possibility that his disappearance is related to his work," Erik Halkjaer, the president of RSF's Swedish section, said in a statement on March 30.
Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk, said that "everything indicates that this is an enforced disappearance," adding, "And if you ask yourself who would have an interest in silencing a dissident journalist, the first response would have to be the Pakistani intelligence services."
The Balochistan Times "often crossed the 'red lines' imposed by the military establishment in Islamabad," according to RSF.
No one has heard from Hussain since he boarded a train in Stockholm on March 2 bound for Uppsala, some 70 kilometers north of the Swedish capital.
RSF said that, according to confidential information it had obtained, Pakistan's ISI keeps a list of exiled reporters.
'Fear Is Their Tactic'
Goraya is one of those believed to be on the list.
In January 2017, Goraya was abducted while visiting Pakistan. He was among five social media activists and bloggers who disappeared that month in separate incidents across Pakistan.
Released after several weeks, Goraya returned to the Netherlands. He said he had been detained in Pakistan by a government institution with links to the military and tortured "beyond limits."
The Pakistani military reportedly denied its involvement.
Goraya said he was held because he ran a satirical Facebook page critical of the Pakistani military's stranglehold over politics in the country. Pakistan has been ruled by the army for nearly half of its statehood.
The Facebook page has also criticized the army's alleged human rights abuses in Balochistan.
The military establishment "wants to control the online space," said Goraya. "And when they cannot control it, they resort to such tactics. Fear is their tactic. You attack one person and everyone becomes afraid."
'Government's Extreme Insecurity'
Steven Butler, the Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told RFE/RL that the recent attacks on Pakistani journalists and rights activists in Europe show that the exile community is "not safe," adding that the incidents are "worrisome."
"Certainly, Pakistani intelligence would be unhappy about the activities of these individuals," he said, although he added that there was "no evidence of who precisely is behind the attacks."
Another Pakistani dissident who has been targeted is Gul Bukhari, a Pakistani-British journalist and rights activist who lives in the United Kingdom.
She has been a vocal critic of Pakistan's military on social media, accusing it of meddling in politics.
"Considering the recent attacks and harassment against other Pakistani journalists in Europe, we cannot ignore the possibility that his disappearance is related to his work," Erik Halkjaer, the president of RSF's Swedish section, said in a statement on March 30.
Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk, said that "everything indicates that this is an enforced disappearance," adding, "And if you ask yourself who would have an interest in silencing a dissident journalist, the first response would have to be the Pakistani intelligence services."
The Balochistan Times "often crossed the 'red lines' imposed by the military establishment in Islamabad," according to RSF.
No one has heard from Hussain since he boarded a train in Stockholm on March 2 bound for Uppsala, some 70 kilometers north of the Swedish capital.
RSF said that, according to confidential information it had obtained, Pakistan's ISI keeps a list of exiled reporters.
'Fear Is Their Tactic'
Goraya is one of those believed to be on the list.
In January 2017, Goraya was abducted while visiting Pakistan. He was among five social media activists and bloggers who disappeared that month in separate incidents across Pakistan.
Released after several weeks, Goraya returned to the Netherlands. He said he had been detained in Pakistan by a government institution with links to the military and tortured "beyond limits."
The Pakistani military reportedly denied its involvement.
Goraya said he was held because he ran a satirical Facebook page critical of the Pakistani military's stranglehold over politics in the country. Pakistan has been ruled by the army for nearly half of its statehood.
The Facebook page has also criticized the army's alleged human rights abuses in Balochistan.
The military establishment "wants to control the online space," said Goraya. "And when they cannot control it, they resort to such tactics. Fear is their tactic. You attack one person and everyone becomes afraid."
'Government's Extreme Insecurity'
Steven Butler, the Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told RFE/RL that the recent attacks on Pakistani journalists and rights activists in Europe show that the exile community is "not safe," adding that the incidents are "worrisome."
"Certainly, Pakistani intelligence would be unhappy about the activities of these individuals," he said, although he added that there was "no evidence of who precisely is behind the attacks."
Another Pakistani dissident who has been targeted is Gul Bukhari, a Pakistani-British journalist and rights activist who lives in the United Kingdom.
She has been a vocal critic of Pakistan's military on social media, accusing it of meddling in politics.
Bukhari was abducted in June 2018 from a military cantonment in the eastern city of Lahore and held for several hours by unknown men before being freed. The Pakistani Army denied involvement in the abduction, which occurred one day after the military warned that it was monitoring citizens who criticized the state.
In February, Pakistani authorities demanded that Bukhari appear in Pakistan for questioning or authorities would file terrorism charges against her. Bukhari, who left Pakistan in December 2018, said she did not plan to return to her homeland.
Bukhari said she was told by journalists in London that Pakistani authorities were trying to discover her address in Britain, which she has kept secret. She said she feared she could be attacked.
"Pakistani authorities should stop threatening Gul Bukhari and other journalists and critics for speaking out, whether at home or abroad," Butler said. "Threatening to charge a journalist with terrorism and to confiscate her property over social media posts or published articles is absurd, and only reveals the government's extreme insecurity."
In February, Pakistani authorities demanded that Bukhari appear in Pakistan for questioning or authorities would file terrorism charges against her. Bukhari, who left Pakistan in December 2018, said she did not plan to return to her homeland.
Bukhari said she was told by journalists in London that Pakistani authorities were trying to discover her address in Britain, which she has kept secret. She said she feared she could be attacked.
"Pakistani authorities should stop threatening Gul Bukhari and other journalists and critics for speaking out, whether at home or abroad," Butler said. "Threatening to charge a journalist with terrorism and to confiscate her property over social media posts or published articles is absurd, and only reveals the government's extreme insecurity."
Crushing Dissent
Pakistan is one of the world's most-dangerous countries for reporters.
The military, intelligence community, and military-affiliated political groups have been suspected in the killings of 22 reporters in the past decade.
Pakistan is one of the world's most-dangerous countries for reporters.
The military, intelligence community, and military-affiliated political groups have been suspected in the killings of 22 reporters in the past decade.
The attacks and harassment of exiled Pakistani journalists come as the Pakistani press finds itself under unprecedented pressure from authorities.
In the past three years, dozens of prominent reporters have been fired or have left after being threatened; the nation's most popular television channel, Geo TV, has been forced off the air intermittently; officials have disrupted the distribution of Dawn, Pakistan's oldest English-language newspaper; and leading columnists have complained that media outlets are increasingly rejecting stories critical of the army and intelligence agencies.
In March, human rights and media-freedom watchdogs urged Pakistan to release from pretrial detention the owner and editor in chief of the country's biggest independent media group.
Mir Shakilur Rehman of the Jang group of newspapers and TV stations was arrested in Lahore on March 12 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with allegations of tax evasion in a real-estate purchase 34 years ago.
The Jang group, which has criticized the government and NAB activities, rejected the allegations against Rehman and described his arrest as "an attack on the freedom of expression."
Pakistan is ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2019 World Press Freedom Index, three places lower than it was in 2018.
In the past three years, dozens of prominent reporters have been fired or have left after being threatened; the nation's most popular television channel, Geo TV, has been forced off the air intermittently; officials have disrupted the distribution of Dawn, Pakistan's oldest English-language newspaper; and leading columnists have complained that media outlets are increasingly rejecting stories critical of the army and intelligence agencies.
In March, human rights and media-freedom watchdogs urged Pakistan to release from pretrial detention the owner and editor in chief of the country's biggest independent media group.
Mir Shakilur Rehman of the Jang group of newspapers and TV stations was arrested in Lahore on March 12 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with allegations of tax evasion in a real-estate purchase 34 years ago.
The Jang group, which has criticized the government and NAB activities, rejected the allegations against Rehman and described his arrest as "an attack on the freedom of expression."
Pakistan is ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2019 World Press Freedom Index, three places lower than it was in 2018.
Yet Another #Christian Girl In #Pakistan Abducted, Forcibly Converted And Forcibly ‘Married’ To Her Abductor
By Ewelina U. Ochab
At the end of April 2020, a 14 year old Christian girl, Myra Shehbaz, was reportedly abducted and forced to marry in Faisalabad, Punjab. According to International Christian Concern, “Myra Shehbaz was abducted by a group of Muslim men led by Muhammad Naqash. Eye witnesses claim that Myra was attacked while she was traveling to her workplace as a domestic worker on Sunday afternoon. Pervez Masih, Younas Masih, and Naeem Masih, the eye witnesses, claimed that Myra’s abductors forced her into a car and that Myra tried to resist. These eye witnesses were unable to help Myra because abductors were armed and fired several shots into the air.” Myra’s mother, Nighat, told International Christian Concern that she feared her daughter would be “raped, forcefully converted toIslam, or even killed.”
Unfortunately, her concerns are not farfetched. According to the Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP), a human rights organization in the country, around 1,000 Christian and Hindu women and girls are kidnapped each year, forced to convert and marry Muslim men. The victims are usually between the ages of 12 and 25.
Despite these shocking statistics, the number of victims may be even higher as many cases remain unreported, often due to the girls’ families limited financial means. As recently as March, I wrote about the case of another Christian girl, Huma Younus, 14 years old at the time of her abduction. Huma was allegedly abducted from her parents’ home in Karachi on October 10, 2019, by a man named Abdul Jabbar of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab Province. Other known cases from recent years include a Christian girl, Mehwish, who was kidnapped when she was just 14. It was reported that the police have not taken appropriate steps to investigate her case or attempt to rescue her. The same is true in the case of a 13-year-old Christian girl, Sana John. Two teenage girls, Farzana and Sehrish, aged 14 and 16 respectively, were abducted and subjected to gang rape perpetrated by three Muslim men. Despite the fact that one of the perpetrators was apprehended, the family was pressured to settle the case outside of court. Similarly, the case of Maria Sarfraz, an 11-year-old girl abducted and gang-raped for three days, was forcibly settled out of court.
Considering the damning data from MSP, there are many more stories like these, which are yet to be heard.
The latest information in the case of Myra Shehbaz suggests that she was forcibly converted and married to her abductors. Although a National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) certificate has been produced confirming her age, a marriage certificate contradicts this, stating her age as 18. A typed statement was also produced, allegedly made by her, stating that she left her home and married willingly. The case is yet to proceed through the courts. However, this does not mean that justice will be served and the girl will be reunited with her family. Indeed, the reports suggest a variety of approaches to such cases concerning abducted, forced conversion and forced marriages.
In another case, Nasira v Judicial Magistrate, the Lahore High Court recognized that an under age girl lacks legal capacity to convert. In the case, Nasira, a Christian woman, has filed a petition for her minor daughter Pumy Muskan to be recovered from the alleged illegal custody of people (referred to in the judgment as the Respondent No. 5 & 6) and dealt with in accordance with law. Respondent No. 5 & 6 employed the 14-year-old girl, Pumy Muskan, as part of a household. After a few months, when the mother went to meet Pumy Muskan, Respondents No.5 & 6 told her that Pumy Muskan was with the sister of Respondent No.5 in another city and, having embraced Islam, did not want to see her mother any more. After a lengthy legal battle, ultimately, the Lahore High Court decided that “Pumy Muskan is barely 14 years old. As she is not sui juris she lacks legal capacity to change religion on her own. However, the question of faith being a matter of heart and one’s conviction, no Court can declare her conversion invalid or void. It can only refuse to recognize or give effect to it for certain legal purposes. The Petitioner being the lawful guardian of Pumy Muskan is entitled to her custody. There is no reason to deprive her of that right.”
Many such cases, of women and girls being abducted, forcibly converted, forcibly ‘married’ and abused by their abductors, continue to be neglected by the police and the justice system. This only allows further crimes to be committed. Every child deserves a normal childhood. Every girl deserves to be a child and to be afforded the opportunity to flourish. Pakistan needs to step up its approach of dealing with such cases and ensure proper investigations and prosecutions of the perpetrators and reunification of the children with their parents. However, a change in society is also required so that abduction of a child, forced conversion and forced marriage are considered abhorrent. There is still a long way to go.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2020/05/08/yet-another-girl-in-pakistan-abducted-forcibly-converted-and-forcibly-married-to-her-abductor/#5d23946474da
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