This time around there is no politics as ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday started approaching the top leadership of opposition political parties in a bid to devise a joint strategy to fight coronavirus.
Soon after Shehbaz Sharif, the opposition leader in National Assembly returned home, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser telephoned him and commended him for returning home to join the struggle against the coronavirus with all political leadership in this critical time.
Both the leaders discussed the present state of the coronavirus spread and its impact on the economy of the country. Qaiser informed Sharif about formation of a parliamentary committee on coronavirus comprising member form both treasury and opposition.
He said that the committee will monitor the steps of the government and forward its suggestions to the government. He said that a loud message needs to be sent to the people that their leadership was standing side by side with them.
He asked him for giving the names of his party's representatives for the parliamentary committee so that it could start functioning. Sharif lauded NA Speaker's efforts to unite all political leadership at this difficult time, saying we need to think beyond politics to tackle the coronavirus being a global pandemic.
He also said that they have to take every step thoughtfully. "Coronavirus has destroyed thousands of human lives in the world and it has hit the world economy very seriously. Our country is already facing economic challenges, therefore, adoption of a joint approach to address the detriments to the economy," he added.
He further said that whenever the difficult times have come upon the nation, all political leadership had stood firm with the nation. Meanwhile, chairing a meeting of the party's central executive committee through video link from Lahore, the PML-N president offered the government Ittefaq Hospital owned by the Sharif family is available to be used for the coronavirus patients in the country.
The party also formed two committees which will form task forces on health comprising members of the party to deal with the heal crisis in the country in wake of COVID-19 pandemic. The party also decided to write a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, offering its services as volunteers to help the nation as well as the government in tackling the coronavirus disease which has engulfed the whole country.