Pakistan saved by Sindh govt’s timely steps: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that PPP’s first priority is to save the lives of the people but through a conspiracy the efforts of Sindh government are being sabotaged.

“Sindh government is working on the guidelines given by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and due to timely measures taken by the Sindh government, Pakistan was saved from turning into Wuhan, Italy and New York,” he said while addressing a video conference of PPP information secretaries. Bilawal said that other provinces also followed Sindh's lead to protect their people. “PPP is ready to give every sacrifice for the people,” he said.

Taking the PTI-led government to task for what he described as its "non-seriousness" and the resulting "delayed" response to coronavirus crisis, the PPP Chairman said that the federal government has not done anything for the daily wage workers. He deplored that the federal government also did not fulfil the basic need of the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff vital for managing the Covid-19 patients.” It is also the responsibility of the federal government to help provinces,” he said.

Sarbuland Khan briefing the PPP chairman said that Balochistan lacks test kits. KP's Rubina Khalid said that doctors lost their lives in the line of duty because they were not provided protective gear. Hasan Murtaza from Punjab complained that people of Punjab desperately need medical facilities. Similarly Sadia Danish apprised the chairman about Gilgit Baltistan lacking PPEs for doctors and testing kits. Javed Ayub said that the federal government has totally ignored Azad Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by Moula Bux Chandio, Dr Nafisa Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor, Ch Munawwar Anjum, Palwasha Khan, Saeed Ghani, Hasan Murtaza, Aajiz Dhamra, Sarbuland Khan, Nawabzada Iftikhar, Rubina Khalid, Sadia Danish, Javed Ayub, Nasir Shah, Barrister Amir Hasan, Sassi Palijo, Saher Kamran and Nazir Dhoki.

Meanwhile, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Syed Shibli Faraz said the government of Sindh is free to take a decision on whether or not to opt for lockdown and asked why questions were raised at the federal government on this count.

In a statement, issued here, the newly installed federal information minister asked Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh government not to blame the federal government for their failures and focus on controlling the coronavirus instead of playing politics on this serious issue.

He pointed out that Bilawal Bhutto and Sindh provincial ministers holding lengthy news conferences instead. Shibli emphasised that the opposition should support the prime minister in the fight against the virus instead of doing politics. He advised Bilawal not to hurt the national coherence and unity just for the sake of survival in politics.

The minister claimed the aid given by the federal government to Sindh exposes Bilawal Bhutto’s ignorance. He noted that 45,000 Sindh industries and 0.717 million commercial consumers were given relief in electricity bill payments.

He continued that the State Bank's deferred scheme for payment of loan installments would also be apply to Sindh and similarly the Rs1.2 trillion stimulus package would be distributed to Sindh like the other federating units.

He went on to add that the people of Sindh benefitted like any other parts of the country through utility stores.

Small traders and business owners have been given a facility package to pay their workers' salaries, Senator Shibli Faraz said.

The minister said that under the Ehsaas Cash Emergency Programme, Rs27 billion was given away in Sindh so far from the Centre, besides supply of 504,447 face masks, 290,986 surgical masks, 30,142 N-95, 203,840 KN-95 masks and 148,334 protective suits.

The equipment, he noted, provided includes 77,992 testing kits, 200 thermal guns, 25,000 VTM and PCR machines. Moreover, the federal government has provided a large number of hand-sanitizers, handwash, soap chemical sprays, bio-hazard bags, safety boxes and body bags.