LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will draft health charters, both for provinces and one for the whole of Pakistan to make sure that the rights of healthcare professionals across Pakistan are protected during the coronavirus pandemic, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday.

"These charters will be drafted after consultation with top doctors and will be presented before Parliament in the form of a bill," Iqbal said while addressing a press conference in Lahore. The politician said PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif had approved the move and the process will begin from Azad Kashmir, where the PML-N is in power. Ahsan Iqbal has accused government of trying to make Punjab the most backward province of the country. Criticizing performance of PTI-led Punjab government during a press conference, Ahsan Iqbal said that it seems that 'Save Punjab' campaign will have to be started.

He further added that government has ignored basic issues of medical staff working on front line against novel coronavirus. "The PTI government has been neglecting the health sector. We are afraid they'll end up defaming our doctors the way they hurt the reputation of our pilots," he said. Iqbal was referring to the Civil Aviation Authority's recent statement stating that most Pakistani pilots had legitimate flying licences. This was contrary to Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan's claims that the majority of pilots associated with the PIA had fake licences.

Iqbal added that there are over 12,000 Pakistanis who got their degrees from abroad, but are not being registered. "We want these thousands of people to be issued their licences. This is pure bureaucratic negligence."