Pakistani Diaspora’s role during COVID-19

Pakistani Diaspora serving in various countries has always responded with zeal whenever Pakistan has been struck by a calamity, be it earthquakes, floods or other catastrophes. Even during the onslaught of the pandemic COVID-19, the Pakistani Diaspora heard the clarion call of Prime Minister Imran Khan and answered enthusiastically. Despite being hit hard by COVID-19, where millions have been laid off, the Pakistani Diaspora is sending donations. More importantly, the Diaspora, comprising doctors, taxi drivers and philanthropists in western countries have conducted themselves with a missionary zeal and earned kudos for Pakistan.

Their tales abound and continue to pour in. Take the case of Dr Usman, a teacher at Changsha Medical College, who was the first foreign doctor who stepped forward to treat infected people in Wuhan as a volunteer, even risking his own life. Readers may recall that the pandemic originated from the Wuhan city of China in late December 2019 where Dr Usman, a Pakistani doctor and a graduate of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, gallantly volunteered to treat coronavirus patients. He worked tirelessly along with Chinese doctors to serve humanity and was branded as a hero by Chinese media.

Pakistanis deputed on peacekeeping missions abroad, have also given a good account of themselves. UNAMID (United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur) Pakistani contingent in Sudan is conducting awareness raising workshop on COVID-19 in North Darfur. As the world confronts a huge challenge in the shape of coronavirus pandemic, Pakistanis living in several countries have risen to the occasion and are doing a commendable job while fighting on the frontline to save precious lives.

Dr Habib Zaidi, a 76-year-old Pakistani general physician in Essex, United Kingdom, went to the extent of sacrificing his life in the service of humanity. Dr Habib Zaidi worked as a GP in Leigh-on-Sea for more than 45 years, he contracted coronavirus while gallantly treating patients disregarding the peril to his own life.

Spain, which is one of the hardest-hit European countries by COVID -19, has examples of chivalrous Pakistanis coming forward to serve humanity. In Barcelona, Sheraz Syed, along with 195 other Pakistanis, provides free rides to healthcare staff in the city. The initiative started at the beginning of Spain’s lockdown, in mid-March, as six Pakistani taxi drivers led by Shahbaz Ahmed discussed how medical workers would be able to return at night to their homes. Since then, their effort has expanded to about 200 volunteers. They started by sharing their contact details with hospitals and organized their schedules to cover the city center and more remote facilities.

In Spain, it is not just taxi drivers but other members of the local Pakistani community, who have also stepped in to help. Grocery store owners have converted industrial warehouses into spaces taxi drivers can use to organize food parcel distribution to the homeless and families in need. Hundreds of masks and robes for medical workers are being sewn together at the Catalan Islamic Cultural Centre.

The US, the world’s leading economy, is reeling with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic but reports of the Pakistani-American community rising to accept the challenge boldly, are heartwarming. The Pakistani-American community is fighting as a frontline force in protecting the lives of its compatriots as well as non-Pakistanis in the US. The community is conscientiously engaged in relief activities in the world’s hardest-hit country and its campaign’s major target is the New York City, with the highest number of fatalities. The American Pakistani Advocacy Group (APAG) was the first South Asian organization in US which launched a major initiative to help those people who were in need, delivering rations and other essential items at the doorsteps of those people who were unable to visit grocery shops due to lockdowns in various cities of the US. Another initiative was meant to offer free lunch to those Americans who were at the forefront in the fight against the coronavirus.

It is heartening that Pakistani businessmen, working in the US, are also contributing immensely to the cause of combating COVID-19. Pervaiz Riaz, a businessman from the US, gave free disinfection services to the doctors, nurses and other frontline fighters. Mazhar Chughtai, an entrepreneur by profession, in collaboration with the US-based Pakistani organizations distributed food among thousands of families. Moviz Saddique from Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) distributed food and safety kits in 145 cities of the US. Hundreds of volunteers are currently working across the US which also includes a large number of Pakistani women. US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells has also lauded the Pakistani Americans for serving the communities in the US and Pakistan.

In the Far East, the Pakistani Diaspora in Singapore also came forward to help its country of origin, through a vigorous fund-raising campaign, in coordination with Pakistani High Commission, shipping thousands of protective kits, goggles and face masks to support the Pakistani government in its efforts against coronavirus.

While the Pakistani Diaspora is providing commendable service to Pakistan, it also needs our help. In the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, millions of migrant workers in the Gulf countries have been dismissed. In the UAE, a new law was passed which authorized businesses to slash wages momentarily or even permanently for non-citizen personnel. Hence, as a result of COVID-19, migrants in the Gulf states have been forced into lockdown in overcrowded, unhygienic environments with no income and are powerless to return home owing to travel limitations.

According to government sources, there are almost 4.7 million recorded Pakistanis employed in the Middle East. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that overseas Pakistanis would not be deserted and left to fend on their own. The process involves not only their repatriation but screening, testing, quarantining and later rehabilitating them. Where Pakistan economy is in tatters, this will be a mammoth task, but we owe it to our Diaspora returning home.