As Pakistan enters its second month since the detection of the first coronavirus patient in the country, there appears to be growing concern over the lack of direction and constructive linkages among the various government tiers.

When the federal government appeared to be hesitant to announce an overall lockdown last month, the provincial governments took it upon themselves to do so albeit to varying degrees as per their unique circumstances. While this may make sense for immediate and localised mitigation of the spread of coronavirus, it leaves unaddressed several dimensions to the larger issue for which a uniform policy direction and resource allocation could only come from the Centre.

As the virus continues to challenge the world, the coming months are sure to put to test the competence and ability of leaders, and patience and compassion of the people at large. In these times of uncertainty, it would be good for those at the helm to provide clarity and a sense of direction, perhaps even project unity. For a country that has witnessed decades of challenges – political, social and economic – it is essential that the provincial and federal governments work on forging linkages that could help them deliver and steer the country out of this pandemic.