Emergency help

As the number of infected people with Covid-19 is mounting exponentially in Pakistan, there is an urgent need to roll out an immediate relief package for the poor. With lockdowns implemented in GB, Punjab and Sindh, and others on the way, daily wage earners, and those without any savings are the hardest hit. An urgent response is called for before it is too late and before the people refuse to obey the lockdown and come out in large numbers that may result in riots and unrest. The excuse that the government can’t do much about it is simply not acceptable, and at the moment whatever resources are at the disposal of the state must be mobilized to provide succour to the needy. The federal government has already wasted precious time first by the mishandling at Taftan and at other ports of entry, and then by not declaring a lockdown much earlier.

Now, the genie is out of the bottle and a lot needs to be done before it subsides. The government has promised an economic relief plan. We hope this will be well thought out and wide-ranging. At a time when mass debts, mass unemployment and a global economic breakdown now seem increasingly likely, such a plan is essential. While we do not know what the federal government will come up with, especially given its half-hearted approach so far, we hope at least basic factors will be taken into account. First, all those people registered with the government databases for conditional and unconditional money-transfer programmes must be given immediate relief without any conditions. There are millions of people who will benefit if an immediate transfer of money is done. The food supply chain must remain open and functional with all necessary precautions so that no further transmission of virus takes place. That is possible only if a task force is established with all protective gear to oversee such provision. Third, no time be wasted in mobilizing all government, military, and private clinics and hospitals to provide medical facilities to all who need them. Mass testing is a necessity and our aim should be to test 10,000 people daily. We must seek help from around the world and the news that 200 doctors have already arrived from China is to be welcomed. Spain has already nationalised all healthcare facilities and we should be considering the same.

All private businesses must be bound to pay at least one month’s salary to all their employees – be they on contract, daily-wage, or temporary employees. We should also consider imposing a short-term, new tax on the ‘super rich’ and use it to provide help to daily labourers and others who will require it during a lockdown. It is also vital that we halt mass congregations of all kinds including religious gatherings. The failure of Iran to do so in the early days of the virus is one reason for its multiplying figures. It is also essential that people act together. Community networks need to be set up to aid those around us who are not in a position to manage on their own. We can consider seeking relief from donor agencies such as the IMF to manage this. Our federal government will need to demonstrate it is capable of managing what is possibly the worst emergency the world and our own country has faced in recent times. If we do not prepare, if we do not put in place a humane, realistic economic plan, there will be still greater suffering and a very high chance of death entering virtually every household.