Malik asks PM to impose limited army curfew from July 15 to August

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate’s Committee on Interior Senator Abdul Rehman Malik Saturday pens a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan while demanding for imposing limited army curfew from July 15th to August for implementation of anti-coronavirus SOPs and other measures and suggestions.

In a letter to PM, Rehman Malik stated that let us understand it is a national issue and you are obliged to at least take such suggestions into consideration while formulating anti-coronavirus national action plan. “Based on my local and international research, I had made the prediction quite some time ago, that if army curfew is not imposed for strict implementation of SOPs, the number of coronavirus patients and death toll can rise to unimaginable limits in Pakistan. The same has been proven correct, as the nation suffers the rising number of infections and mortalities,” he stated in his letter.

In his letter to PM Imran Khan, Senator Abdul Rehman Malik recommended 10 suggestions that include:

To impose army curfew for enforcement of anti-coronavirus SOPs without further delay.

To declare Health emergency for the months of July, August, and September, 2020.

Promulgate Emergency Laws, that punish the hoarders, counterfeiters, black-marketers of medicines, medical equipment, over-charging of medical treatment linked with COVID-19, and daily commodities; and they should be tried summarily and punished.

The TV channels should be instructed to give news of the persons arrested and punished for these emergency based crimes.

To enhance the capacity of treatment of COVID-19 patients by building temporary coronavirus treatment centers as month of August is likely to be hard.

The government of China may be requested for sending more Chinese doctors and nurses for treatment of coronavirus patients in Pakistan.

To ensure abundant availability of all life-saving drugs, including Panadol and instruments. Import Taxes and duties, may be removed temporarily to replenish shortages.

Lift all and any import duties and restrictions upon import and domestic sale of protective kits (PPEs) for the doctors and Para-medical staff.

Risk allowance and increase the salaries of those doctors and paramedical staff upto 100% who are treating COVID-19 patients, and to offer them compensations at par with police, who lay their lives in line of duty.

Special arrangements may be made on the occasion of Eidul Azha for observations of SOPs in letter and spirit as the virus around the mob become thickly airborne and there will more fear of COVID-19 spread.