ANP calls for unity to protect masses from coronavirus

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain has said the current situation demands unity from all stakeholders to protect the masses from the pandemic.

The ANP leader said the leadership should act and unite as was done after the Army Public School carnage. Mian Iftikhar said the political parties should set aside their differences and devise a strategy to fight the pandemic and protect the citizens. He said the step should have been taken by the government but it was initiated by the Pakistan People's Party. A statement issued from Bacha Khan Markaz said that the ANP leader represented his party chief at the video conference on the coronavirus pandemic.

He stressed the need for practical steps for containing the spread of the virus. The ANP leader said those who are taking fruitful steps must be appreciated and followed by others to protect the citizens. He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was not implementing lockdown properly, saying that bazaars were still open and public transport plying the roads.

Mian Iftikhar said this non-serious attitude would lead to a disastrous situation. He believed that authorities sprang into action after aid for fighting the virus was announced at the international level. The ANP leader said people would have taken the issue seriously had the government acted prudently since the beginning.

He said the next two weeks would be very crucial and urged a complete lockdown to contain it. Mian Iftikhar also said the Health staff should be equipped with the equipment to save their lives. He stressed the need for providing ventilators to hospitals to save more lives which were not possible with the current state of affairs. Mian Iftikhar suggested using media in local languages to create awareness among the masses.He also demanded strict action against those who were spreading propaganda and were misleading masses about the virus.