Pakistan sees sharp spike in virus cases as curbs ease today

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has summoned a session of the Upper House on Tuesday, as the country witnessed its sharpest spike in confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24 hour period with nearly over 1,900 new cases and 35 more deaths.

According to a press release issued by the Senate on Friday, the session will convene at Parliament House here at 11.00am on May 12. The Senate session will follow one by the National Assembly — which has limited its debates on the coronavirus — on May 11.

The decision for senators to convene comes as the federal government announced it would begin phasing out the nationwide virus lockdown today (Saturday) as the country faced a steep rise in cases of Covid-19. As of this report, Pakistan’s total infections number 26,806 with the death toll hitting 622.

Punjab, the hardest-hit province registered a record 961 new cases in 24 hours — taking the province’s tally to 10,003, nearly 40 per cent of Pakistan’s confirmed infections — according to provincial health ministry data.

Meanwhile, Sindh, which has long been at odds with the Centre’s tepid response to the coronavirus, will work alongside the federal government to implement the revised coronavirus lockdown plan, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said. “We will implement the federal government’s lockdown decisions to the extent of 99 per cent if not 100 per cent,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Senate’s House Business Advisory Committee met with Sanjrani in the chair, where “a detailed consultation was made with parliamentary leaders of all political parties regarding with the forthcoming requisitioned session”, said a separate press release.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Raja Zafarul Haq stressed the need for observing social distancing during the session. He said it was not mandatory that all members attended the session simultaneously.

In order to maintain social distance, galleries would also be utilised for making seating arrangements for the senators. It was decided that the session would continue for a week and proceedings would be for two hours.

It was also decided that “minimum and most essential staff” of the Senate Secretariat would come to office.

“Extraordinary measures were taken for the Session as it was being held on such occasion that the whole world including Pakistan was facing hardship due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,” The Chairman was quoted as saying. “Covid-19 has badly crippled the routine life both socially and economically. Economic challenges were also confronted to the economies of almost all countries,” he added.

The meeting was attended by Leader of the House and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Minister for Narcotics Control Azam Swati, Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Babar Awan, senators Anwarul Haq Kakar, Aurangzeb Khan, Sajjid Hussain Turi, Mushahidullah Khan, Sitara Ayaz and Muhammad Ali Saif. Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla, Raja Zafarul Haq, Senators Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Usman Kakar, Mir Hasil, Sirajul Haq, Shery Rehman and Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini participated the meeting through video conferencing.