Pandemonium mars NA session again

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentarians from the opposition parties while calling efforts of the PTI government against the COVID-19 as insufficient, maintained that the complete lockdown was the only solution to control spread of the pandemic in the country as peak time was around the corner.

The National Assembly session, which began on Monday, held only three sittings on alternate days, was prorogued on Friday without reaching a consensus on complete or smart lockdown as members from both sides continued exchanging allegations and harsh remarks.

The PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal came hard on the government for easing the lockdown observing that Pakistan was the only country in the world where pandemic was spreading swiftly while the government was allowing almost all kinds of activities. He said the government was lacking in national policies on foreign affairs, economy and health.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar, however, defended decisions taken by the prime minister in difficult circumstance. He said the world was moving towards the actions which the Prime Minister Imran Khan had foreseen at start of the pandemic. “The prime minister had said that the world will see increase in poverty, starvation and economic crisis,” he recalled.

The parliamentarians sitting on the opposition benches raised slogans and protested remarks of Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan when he demanded accountability of parties’ leaders who remained in power starting from the year 1985.

Munir Khan Orakzai, the parliamentarian from MMA, collapsed during the proceeding due to low blood pressure and he was shifted to hospital.

Ahsan Iqbal went on to say that the leadership of some countries came down to earth and undertook preventive measures to save their people but Pakistani leadership was amongst those which closed eyes to the reality and took no major decision. “Our former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also demanded written national strategy against the COVID-19 but so far we have been able to get nothing except from agenda of the proceedings,” he said.

Ahsan Iqbal, while advising the prime minister to act as premier of the whole country, regretted that instead of uniting the nation, he opened a front against Sindh.

He alleged that the prime minister was failing in rising to the occasion as he did not want to sit with the opposition parties. “If he does not want to sit with the opposition then at least he should have gathered the federating units, but he opened a front against Sindh,” he said, alleging that ego was the only hurdle in the way of the prime minister to take an initiative.

The PML-N leader said instead of holding a debate on the issue, the National Assembly session was prorogued on March 13 after the World Health Organisation (WHO). He also warned to stop controversial debate on the NFC Award and the 18th Amendment, saying that the PML-N would stand like Great Wall of China in the way usurping rights of the provinces through any unconstitutional step.

Ahsan Iqbal said the government was not making appointments in the state institutions after failing to run its departments. He asked the foreign minister that instead of threatening to conquer Sindh, he should tell the House whether the stranded Pakistanis would be brought home before Eidul Fitr.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar referred to a report of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) which stated that 18 million families in the country would see reduction in their income or complete end to it.

He pointed out that the world was taking such measures which Prime Minister Imran Khan undertaken in Pakistan adding that 40 states in the United States have decided to ease lockdown and asking people to return to their jobs. “We do not follow the western world blindly and take our own decisions,” he said.

He said Pakistan enjoys services of world class experts on infectious diseases and data scientists and the government was getting assistance from them. “By the grace of Almighty Allah, the situation did not get out of our control,” he said.

Referring to an English newspaper, he said the newspaper was criticising the Government that it was depending on prayers, he said the government was not ashamed of praying to Almighty Allah.

Predicting that number of COVID-19 cases would increase by end of May, the minister said the number of testing laboratories has increased from two in mid of March to 70 at present while testing capacity has also increased to over 13,000 on daily basis. “We also added one thousand ventilators in our health institutions,” he said.

Talking about strategy of smart lockdown, he said the instead of locking down 220 million people, it was decided to quarantine people only in infected areas.

He pointed out that the biggest relief package of Rs 100 billion was also announced which would benefit 3.5 small businesses while Rs 50 billion package is meant for the health sector.