'Corona Relief Tiger Force': Opposition parties reject PM's initiative

Opposition political parties on Tuesday rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan's initiative - formation of "Corona Relief Tiger Force" - and instead proposed setting up of a "Parliamentary Monitoring Committee" to prevent the possible distribution of the funds on political grounds.
According to Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson, the party president and opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif contacted Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party's chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Sherpao and National Party's chief Hasil Khan Bizenjo, and took them into confidence over a joint "charter of demands".
She said that the opposition leaders agreed on a joint declaration, which she released to the media and stated that the opposition political parties, while rejecting the creation of 'Tiger Force" as a "political stunt" called for immediate setting up of a "Parliamentary Monitoring Committee" to prevent usage of coronavirus relief funds for political purposes.
In a joint "Charter of Demands", the opposition leaders called for the setting up of parliamentary oversight for the monitoring and just distribution of "Coronavirus Relief Fund".
They demanded that a Parliamentary Monitoring Committee be set up immediately to ensure transparency of how and where the goods and items in this regard were being procured from and where were they being used.
"The leaders vehemently rejected the so-called Tiger Force and stated that in the presence of the police and the already active Rangers, this step is mere political gimmickry." Therefore, they said the nation's money and resources must not be wasted on this. "Instead, the local government must be revived immediately to increase administrative force," the statement added.
They also demanded that the criteria for disbursement of ration among the labourers and the deserving be clearly shared and followed, and warned the government against using the money for its political gains.
The opposition leaders also demanded that a joint meeting of the Coronavirus Parliamentary Senate Committee and Standing Committee on Health be called immediately and be briefed on the real situation of the pandemic on the ground.
They also demanded that coronavirus testing be made free of cost at all hospitals and the scope of the testing be widened.
They also demanded that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) should be revived and operationalised with immediate effect.
The opposition leaders once again renewed their call for the provision of protective gear to doctors, nurses and paramedics, while additional ventilators should be provided without any further delay.
They asserted that the awareness campaign should be spread far and wide with all regional and national sources of dissemination of information.
They pointed out that a "Disease Surveillance System" was imperative and it should be established, while factual data be gathered and the truth be shared with the nation.