Blatant violations

The federal government, on the recommendations of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), has closed education institutions across the country to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The annual examinations have been postponed, and commercial activities have been curtailed in big cities. Also, a complete ban on inter-city movement is also on the cards. On the other hand, people are flouting SOPs. Even in big cities, only a few people can be seen wearing masks or following social distancing. Huge crowds are seen at tea stalls and hotels even at night. Some private education institutions in Balochistan have flatly refused to shut down. The authorities seem helpless in front of them and haven’t taken any action. If the government imposes a ban on social gatherings and other festivals, and the people violate the ban, what will be the consequences of this irresponsible behaviour? The NCOC also issued SOPs for religious congregations and appealed to clerics to strictly implement them. However, all these appeals fell on deaf ears. Even provincial ministers aren’t following SOPs and are mostly seen without masks.

How can we achieve the objectives of a smart or complete lockdown and contain the spread of the virus if people and prominent government ministers do not follow SOPs? The government needs to look into this sensitive issue and work out a concrete strategy to fight against this deadly virus.

Guldar Khan Wazir

Loralai