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Covid-19's impact on Pakistan

By Abdul Ghaffar Butt
24 July, 2020

Till a vaccine is invented, countries need to wait and follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the World Health Organization (WHO)....

THINK PAD

Covid-19 has wreaked havoc all over the world. In addition to health problems and death toll, International financial markets have crashed which has hampered the GDP growth of even the developed countries. Till a vaccine is invented, countries need to wait and follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The countries that have followed the instructions of WHO have been successful in flattening the curve. For instance, China has controlled the virus by implementing the SOPs. Vietnam, the neighbouring country of China has not reported a single death from Covid-19. Singapore and South Korea and New Zealand are other examples. Owing to their timely decisions and pragmatic actions they have achieved a herculean task.

Unfortunately, the situation in Pakistan has been deteriorating; we have crossed the mark of 200,000 cases and approximately 4167 deaths have been reported. About 80 percent of the cases in Pakistan are locally transmitted, according to WHO. So, why have Pakistanis not taken this pandemic seriously? Let’s try to find out where our leadership and we as a nation went wrong.

First thing first: it is observed that leadership has failed Pakistan in the fight against virus. Changing stances of the prime minister regarding Covid-19 is a proof of it. The PM’s contradictory statements bewildered the people and now the nation is facing the menace as they are losing their loved ones.

Now, let’s discuss where we as a nation went wrong. It is a fact that the masses have not taken this epidemic seriously. People go around without wearing masks. Traders and shopkeepers are not following the SOPs. The hustle and bustle in the bazars highlighted the non-serious attitude of people. Some people are of the view that they are not vulnerable to the virus as living in a more dangerous environment has boosted their immunity. People believed in the reality of the virus only when some of their beloved ones fell victim to it.

The conservative elements of the society hold the view that Israeli lobby is behind all this mess. Others thought government is imposing the lockdown to get dollars from the foreign donors. This carelessness has led to the diffusion of virus and the state is equally responsible for it. Easing the lockdown at the peak of the virus spread leaves one amazed. Recently, the prime minister announced: “It is up to the people to follow the SOPs and we are not going to lockdown the country as Pakistan cannot bear the financial burden of lockdown.” These are the aforementioned reasons due to which Pakistan has so far failed to flatten the curve.

In this confusion, the only resort left is that government should realign its policies in accordance with the SOPs laid out by WHO. The state has the backing of the law. It has the mandate to look after the interest of every citizen. It has every right to create laws and SOPs that demand compliance and that can punish deviance from the same. On the other hand, the people of Pakistan should also understand the gravity of the situation and should not go around unnecessarily without a mask. These are some precautionary measures and by following it Pakistan can tackle the menace of Covid-19. If these measures are not followed, there is a probability that the land of the pure may lose the battle against the pandemic.