As cases of coronavirus are increasing in the country sharply, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday expressed lack of confidence in the PTI government measures to prevent spread of the virus and called for devising a comprehensive national strategy to defeat COVID-19 forthwith.
Speaking at a news conference together with party's secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, senior leader Rana Sanaullah, secretary information Marriyum Aurangzeb, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also expressed concern over Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement in which he had urged the world to write-off loans of the developing countries including Pakistan in the wake of coronavirus.
"I don't understand as to why and how the prime minister linked writing-off the loans with coronavirus. The prime minister does not even know where the debts have been taken from...most of Pakistan's debts are due to internal debtors," Abbasi said, adding it will create further panic, if the prime minister keeps on giving such "irresponsible" statements.
He said the opposition had requisitioned the sessions of Senate and National Assembly, adding that a debate in the parliament was necessary to chalk out a comprehensive and an immediate national strategy to prevent the situation to turn into a huge epidemic.
"This is not the time for blame-game. We don't see any strategy on the part of the government and there is no response in the right the way, the number of new infected cases are rising...We are very much concerned over the lack of effective strategy," the former premier maintained.
He criticised the government for failing to manage the influx of returning pilgrims from Iran, adding that a group of 500 people had entered Punjab from Taftan.
"The government's failure to manage them could wreak havoc in the whole country," he said, adding: "Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has no competence to deal with the situation and Punjab needs Shehbaz Sharif."
He said PML-N had been demanding that the government took timely measures to prevent the outbreak of the virus, adding the steps should include containment, social distancing and managing those already infected.
Referring to the statements by various federal and provincial ministers, he said that discrepancy was seen in the statements, "which indicates the lack of coordination between the center and the provinces".
"A serious crisis is about to come in the country and the prime minister and his government has the responsibility to show leadership," he said, adding that a rapid and comprehensive response needed to be given.
The former prime minister said that it was necessary that the airports and borders were shut down and an effective public awareness campaign was launched in view of the pandemic.
He also claimed that the country's hospitals were lacking the necessary equipments, and there were only 1,000 ventilators across the country. "This is the government's failure that it hasn't handled the situation so far," he maintained.
Referring to the recent SAARC Members' Video-Conference on Covid-19, Abbasi deplored that leaders from all the member counties participated personally in the moot, while Pakistan was represented by an "unelected" adviser, - Dr Zafar Mirza.
"What kind of message are you going to convey to the world community? The whole world is on the lockdown and they are deliberating upon the strategies to cope with the situation...I have serious apprehension over the 'mindset' of Prime Minister [Khan]," he added.
While speaking, Ahsan Iqbal alleged the PTI government to have failed firstly in dealing with the dengue, then with eradication of the polio and now the coronavirus.
"We are concerned about the government's failure in dealing with such crises. The people need to undertake preemptive measures by themselves and don't rely on the government," he added.
He pointed out that hospitals at district and tehsil levels were lacking the necessary equipment and the screening facilities, adding the government should provide the necessary equipment to all the hospitals across the country.
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