Nation should be on same page against corona: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the whole should be on the same page against coronavirus.

He said that the federal government should limit itself to Islamabad if its policy during the crisis of coronavirus pandemic was that Sindh should see its own problems and Balochistan should take care of itself.

“The armed forces of Pakistan have supported and endorsed the Sindh government in its efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus outbreak in the province, which encouraged provincial government. The PTI government does not have the courage to touch the 18th constitutional Amendment, while the PPP is ready to elaborate the matter to all stakeholders,” he expressed these views in a joint interview with Sindhi TV channels.

PPP Chairman Bilawal said that the timely measures taken by the Sindh government prevented a situation like Italy, Iran, New York and Wuhan from arising in Pakistan, as other provinces followed the steps of the Sindh government and the deadly outbreak did not spread rapidly.

He said that Sindh government was trying to save the lives of the citizens, while the Sindh Governor, who represents the federation, has been opposing the lockdown in Sindh. "The federal ministers said about the doctors on the frontline that they are doing politics at the behest of the Sindh government. Owing to the double standard of the federal government, the issue of coronavirus is spreading in the country and the number of victims is expected to increase significantly," he added.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPEs have not been provided to doctors and paramedical staffs by the federation so far. "Some masks and test kits have been provided by the NDMA to the provinces. So far, the provinces are meeting 90 percent of the costs of the coronavirus crisis with their own resources, but the provinces alone cannot cope with this global pandemic. Owing to non-cooperation of the federation, the provinces are facing great difficulties in fighting this deadly pandemic,” he added.

PPP chairman said that our doctors, nurses and paramedical workers are the real heroes, who are working day and night to save the lives of the citizens by risking their own. Coronavirus is a huge crisis, in which the Sindh Chief Minister and his team, as well as other stakeholders and the media are playing their part diligently.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he realises that the poor, working class and daily wage earners have been most affected by the coronavirus situation, but at the moment we are deeply concerned for their lives and their families’ lives.

He pointed out that the institutions from which the present government is taking steps to provide relief to the poor, be it the BISP or the USCs, were all set up during the PPP governments.

On the ongoing threat from attack on food by the floods of locusts, the PPP chairman pointed out that if locusts were not eradicated, the food security situation in the country would worsen.

The PPP chairman further said that he has called on the federal government to take onward steps to rid of the floods of the locusts because the federal cabinet has a minister on food security, as well. “Sindh provincial government of the PPP had significantly increased the number of hospitals in Sindh after the powers were devolved to the province, he said, adding that it would now focus on bringing improvement in education sector in Sindh on the same pattern as the health sector was improved.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that despite impediments and difficulties, he and his party are determined to resolve the problems.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party while reacting on address of Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Prime Minister Imran Khan lives in cloud-cuckoo land as the COVID-19 is taking human lives including our doctors and paramedical staff but the Prime Minister is displaying anger towards the lockdown.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan should get him checked by a psychiatrist because he says that the lockdown has created issues,” said Deputy Secretary Information PPP Parliamentarians Palwasha Khan said while reacting address of the Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Palwasha Khan said that the Covid-19 is taking human lives including our doctors and paramedical staff but the Prime Minister is displaying anger towards the lockdown.

She said when Sindh imposed lockdown, at the time, Imran Khan and his tigers had incited people against lockdown in Sindh and the governor and PTI’s federal minister openly violated SOPs. “If from the very beginning, the lockdown had been imposed all over Pakistan, we would have succeeded in defeating Covid-19,” she said.

Palwasha Khan said that the economy of the country was in a dire state even before Covid-19 had reached Pakistan. “One million people had lost their jobs and thousands of newspaper workers had been laid off,” she said.

Palwasha Khan said that the incompetent prime minister lives in cuckoo’s land and says that a smart lockdown will be imposed if COVID-19 spreads further.