Activists criticise federal govt for ‘anti-labour, anti-poor priorities’ amid COVID-19 crisis

A group of civil society activists said on Monday the coronavirus pandemic had exposed “the anti-labour and anti-poor priorities” of the federal government, as instead of paying heed to the appeals of highly qualified health experts of our country, the federal government was buckling under the pressure of clerics.

Dr Tipu Sultan, the chancellor of the Malir University of Science and Technology, Professor Dr Jaffar Ahmed, director of the Institute of Social and Historical Research, Abdul Khaliq Junejo, chairman of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Usman Baloch, senior labour rights activist, Salahuddin Gandapor, member of the Sindh Bar Council, Dr Tausif Ahmed Khan, member of the Senate Federal Urdu University, and Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation addressed a press conference at the Karachi Press Club to show solidity with the healthcare workers, who, they said, were fighting in the forefront against the spread of the coronavirus.

They asked the rulers to change their priorities to make the country from a security state to a welfare state. Despite the doctors and health practitioners’ appeals for a complete lockdown in the country, the government had opted for a counterapproach in the name of saving the economy at the cost of the poor, they said.

The most important thing for any government, at this critical time, would be to save the lives of the poor segment, they said, urging that this segment should be provided with the best health and food security measures by the government.

Amid the crisis, when Pakistan needed unity at the national level, it was disappointing that the federal government had not fulfilled its role, nor was it resisting the pressure from religious groups on the issue on limiting religious congregations to stop spread the virus.

The clerics were not ready to accept the fatwas of Jamia Al-Azhar, the Imam-e-Kaba and scholars from Qum for limiting the congregational prayers, they said.

They also showed their concerns over reports of industries and companies across Karachi laying off their employees and not paying them the full salaries for March and April. The Sindh government’s order barring industries and companies from laying off their employees due to the current lockdown to prevent the local transmission of the coronavirus should be forcefully implemented, they said.