In his brief, incisive and though provoking address to the nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan dwelt at length on the demerits of lockdown for developing country like Pakistan and he made a passionate appeal to the people to strictly observe voluntary and individual self-isolation to remain safe from spreading coronavirus infection. The Prime assured the people about smooth supplies of eatable, urged them to avoid panic buying and provision of proper treatment of virus infected people in hospitals. He asked media to play its role in educating public opinion on the likely consequences of panic and chaos.
Leaders of mainstream political parties are demanding complete lockdown of the country without further delay. In his first video link meeting of the central executive committee meeting of the party, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardri pleaded for exercising the option of complete lockdown. He asked for convening multiparty conference on COVID-19 pandemic. On return from four months stay in London, PML-N President Shabaz Sharif strongly demanded for imposing total lock down and warned that government will be held responsible for the losses to human lives if it does not do so. Like the PPP Chairman, PML-N president gave the proposal of calling All Parties Conference for consultation as how best the natural calamity can be dealt with.
There are cogent and compelling reasons as to why Prime Minister is resisting use of total lock down. He wants to save the daily wage earners such as Riksaw and Taxi drivers, workers in the construction industry, retail vegetable and fruits sellers. If the demand of PML-N and PPP leadership is accepted and total lockdown down is imposed in the country, then 2.6 million daily wagers will lose their jobs. And the Prime Minister has cautioned against such an unemployment situation by saying that it is impossible to feed millions jobless people and their families. He said that country does have the financial resources and distribution system Like China, the United States and other developed countries to bear the shocks of lock down.
As a necessary social protection measure, Chairman Islamic Ideology Council Dr. Qibla Ayaz has suggested early distribution of Zakat among the deserving people by the government and philanthropists to mitigate the impact of financial hardship caused by contagion coronavirus. Before the devolution of Federal Ministry of Zakat and Usher to provinces under 18th Amendment, Central Zakat Council had an efficient system of Zakat Fund distribution among the federating units. It provided a wider relief cover to deserving people in provinces where amount of Zakat Collection by Banks was either small or zero. In Baluchistan and tribal districts of former FATA collection of this levy was zero. In Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, it was meager, in Punjab comparatively greater and in Sindh appreciably higher Zakat collection. Central Zakat Council used to allocate Zakat money proportionate to population of a federating unit. Unfortunately, the egalitarian Zakat distribution system was done away with under 18th Amendment, about which one of its authors Senator Raza Rabbani claimed in a speech at Bari Imam Urs in 2011 to have restored the 1973 constitution in original form and making it resemble with Charter of Madina. It is a bitter truth that after the dissolution of Central Zakat Council, Zakat collection in the country by banks has registered decrease every year.
As people are not taking seriously government’s health advisory and call for social distancing therefore Sind Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has imposed total lockdown in the province for 15 days from midnight as the number of corona virus infections has shot up to 292. The spike in infections has been attributed to the attitude of aversion shown by the people towards social distancing to remain safe from this menace. The same attitude is being demonstrated in the province of Punjab. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar told in a press conference that Army shall be called in aid of civil administration under Article 245 of the constitution. Expo Center Lahore has been converted into a field hospital for providing treatment to corona infected patients and four more such hospitals have been set up in the province. He also hinted at promulgation of “Corona Ordinance’ to effectively contain further spread of contagion. Let us hope people will positively respond to Prime Minister’s call what he described going into self-quarantine and situation will not reach to imposing lockdown across the country.
