Firdous urges Ulema to play role in creating awareness on coronavirus

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan has emphatically stated that the forensic report into wheat flour and sugar crisis will be made public.

Addressing a news conference in Sialkot on Saturday, she said the people will be apprised about the whole facts behind the crisis.

She strongly rejected the Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif’s allegations about delay in presentation of the report. She said Prime Minister Imran Khan believes in across the board accountability and that is why he formed a commission to unmask the real faces behind the crisis.

She said all the responsible institutions were made part of this commission and since it had to carry out forensic audit of the last three years, therefore, it requires time to complete the process in the most transparent manner. She said the commission has demanded to further extend its period for three weeks and this request will be presented before the cabinet for approval.

The Special Assistant said time warrants greater unity and harmony in our ranks but regretted that the opposition leader resorted to allegations against the Prime Minister in order to keep himself alive in the politics. She said no family member of the prime minister is involved in this scam.

The Special Assistant said a relief package for industrial workers has been prepared which will be approved by the Economic Coordination Committee on Monday (April 27, 2020). She said the package is aimed at protecting the rights and livelihoods of the industrial workers. This is only possible when we will shoulder the burden of the industries during these testing times. Therefore, she said, this package envisages relief measures for the owners of the industries and factories

Firdous Ashiq Awan said the testing capacity for coronavirus cases is being enhanced and by the end of May it will be enhanced to twenty thousand. She said we currently have forty labs which will be enhanced to sixty.

The special assistant stressed that responsibility rests with different segments of the society particularly religious scholars to play their role to contain and defeat this contagion.

She expressed the confidence that the Ulema will fulfill their responsibility regarding implementation of the twenty-point Ramazan guidelines in order to avoid the spread of the virus.

Firdous Ashiq Awan said doctors and paramedical staff are fighting as a front line soldiers in war against COVID-19 pandemic. She said the government is committed to ensure the safety of doctors by providing all necessary equipment to them. She said we value their services during these testing times.