Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
NEWS
bAloCHIStAn extendS loCkdown tIll MAy 19 AMId SurGe In CoronA CASeS QUETTA
t
STAFF REPORT
HE Balochistan government has decided to extend ongoing lockdown in the province for further 15 days with effect from Tuesday. According to Provincial Home and Tribal Affairs Department, the lockdown will remain intact till 19th of this month in order to control further spread of coronavirus pandemic. Balochistan government Spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said that the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming rate and in order to stem it, effective measures such as social distancing and isolation should be practiced. He said that the provincial government is extending the lockdown until May 19. “COVID-19 (is) rapidly spreading in #Balochistan. The only medicine & solution so far has proven to be isolation, social distancing and lockdown. Hence
Balochistan government has decided to extend lockdown for further 15 days till 19th May,” he tweeted. The Balochistan government had earlier warned that it would extend the lockdown due to the rise in cases. Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal had said that the number of locally-transmitted cases in the province was increasing slowly but that lockdown restrictions could only be eased if people cooperate with the government. It was through random testing that the Balochistan Health Department learned that the locally transmitted cases had increased, he had said. “Our testing capacity is improving so we’re conducting more tests,” Kamal had added, stating that a lot needed to be done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Balochistan Health Department also decided to only test those citizens who are showing COVID-19
symptoms due to a lack of testing capacity. According to a statement released by the provincial health department, the Fatima Jinnah Laboratory has been closed for the public — the lab was the only facility where residents could get themselves tested for the respiratory illness. “Those suspected of having contracted the virus will only be tested after they have completed a mandatory 14-day quarantine period at home,” the statement said. It added that the decision has been taken due to a lack of testing capacity at the laboratory; the results of more than 2,000 tests have already been delayed. The statement, however, contradicted claims made by Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani who — while speaking at a press conference in Quetta earlier in the day — had said that the province will no longer “face a dearth of testing kits and equipment”.
“We had asked the federal government to provide us with 50,000 PCR kits. But, we did not receive the entire shipment,” Shahwani said. However, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has now given us testing kits, he said, adding that the federal government had also given 14,000 testing kits. “Our labs and machinery are increasing,” he said. Shahwani maintained that a reshuffle within the health department staff had caused the delay in test results for the past two days, adding that the staff has been working tirelessly. He added that the government was in the process of setting up another laboratory at Bolan Medical College which will ramp up the province’s testing capacity. “Our testing capacity will then increase by 400-450 tests per day,” he said. BILAWAL LAUDS BALOCHISTAN GOVT’S DECISION: Lauding Balochistan government’s decision, Pakistan People’s
Clerics claim mosques following SOPs, data points otherwise LAHoRE STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Ulema Council and Wafaqul Masajid Madaris-e-Pakistan on Tuesday claimed that 70 per cent mosques were following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) signed between the clerics and the government, however it is contrary to multiple reports that state that a majority of mosque administrations across the country are ignoring the protocols. According to a report in a local daily, the number of people at the Islamabad mosques surged “dramatically” after the lifting of the ban. It said none of the prayer-goers were following social distancing measures. Another report quoting
an NGO claimed that over 80 per cent mosques were found violating the SOPs during taraweeh prayers, contrary to what they had promised the government. The data released by the NGO showed that in 96pc of the observed mosques, people were found praying on pavements and roads and nearly 89pc of the worshippers did not wear face masks. Besides, in 72pc and 69pc of the observed mosques, the worshippers did not maintain the 6ft distance and were found doing ablution in the mosques. In the few mosques where some distance was maintained, this did not amount to 6ft. Photos clearly established massive violation of the important mitigation measure. In more than two-thirds of the observed mosques, children were
railways may restore passenger train operations from May 10 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is mulling restoration of passenger traffic operations from May 10 under certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) introduced to ensure efficient and safe travel for commuters as well as train and railways staff in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “Pakistan Railways is considering the restoration of passenger traffic operations tentatively with effect from 10th of instant subject to approval of the competent authority. To ensure the efficient, safe train operation, the proposed SOPs need to be implemented in their true letter and spirit,” a letter issued by the PR Headquarters to all divisional superintendents on Tuesday read. For this purpose, the ministry said, availability of required stock and other relevant resources of operational requirements and passenger amenities needed to be ensured. “It is further directed that a full-dress rehearsal in this context shall also be undertaken on May 7, 2020, to identify the effectiveness of the operational arrangements and identify the weaknesses, if any, so as to enable all concerned to ensure complete rectification of the weaknesses and deficiencies prior to commence all the passenger traffic operation as per schedule,” the letter added. In another letter, the PR also asked the senior general manager to review the SOPs and give feedback within three days for their finalisation; otherwise “the SOPs sent by this Ministry will be considered as final”. APP
also found alongside their elders. The observation was made in Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Kamalia, Jhang, Layyah, Multan, Toba Tek Singh, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa, Shorkot, Kot Addu and Alipur. Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district police have served 460 notices on the administrations of the mosques for violating the 20-point guidelines. However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the clerics claimed that majority of Ulema were cooperating with the local authorities in implementing the SOPs. The statement said that though the ratio of mosques following the SOPs in the urban areas was 70pc, in rural areas over 60 per cent mosques were violating the agreement signed with the government.
The federal government had allowed people to offer prayers in mosques, a move denounced by the medical community. Doctor across the country have warned of the country’s already fragile healthcare system collapsing in the government allows relaxations in the COVID-19 lockdown. Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr Qaiser Sajjad regretted had said: “I have to say, with all due respect, that our government has made a very wrong decision and our ulema have demonstrated extreme insensitivity [akin to] playing with human lives. This fight is between the coronavirus and doctors, so please listen to us […] You (government and scholars) have held a meeting without including any technical person.”.
COVID-19: Bilawal accuses Centre of creating hurdles for Sindh KARACHI INP
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari on Tuesday accused the federal government of creating hurdles for Sindh government in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Addressing the office-bearers of People’s Doctors Forum at Bilawal House Karachi through video-link, Bilawal said that the non-arrival of the federal government’s economic bailout package reduced the effectiveness of the lockdown and further spread the COVID-19 outbreak. PDF President Dr Karim Khawaja, Punjab President Dr Khayyam Hafeez, Dr Javed Iqbal and Dr Arsalan Dewan, Sindh President Dr Razzaq Sheikh Dr Yar Ali Jamali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) President Dr Nisar Ahmad Khan and Dr Dawood Iqbal, Dr Ashiq Hussain Shah and Afzal Abro and others participated
in the session. Bilawal said that the federal governments all over the world have given such relief packages but Pakistan’s has given nothing except continuing the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) funding started by PPP. He said he has been talking about giving relief package not only to Sindh but to all the provinces alike but instead of helping, federal government is placing obstacles in the provincial government’s way. He also said that the federal representative, Sindh governor, is not even signing the relief package ordinance given to the people by the Sindh government as an attempt to create hinderance. The package includes job and salary protection for the people of the province, rebates on utility bills, relief in school fees and rebates on house rent. Sindh government wants to give relief to the people of the province in all provincial taxes through this ordinance, he added.
GB CM says may ease lockdown on certain conditions GILGIT APP
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman on Tuesday said that conditional relaxation would be granted in lockdown. He was presiding over a high-level meeting regarding coronavirus pandemic which was attended by divisional commissioners and other officials through video link. He said that enforcing appropriate physical distancing, wearing masks, gloves and other precautionary measures would be mandatory conditions for relaxing
lockdown in GB. He said that district Astore was red zone at the moment due to an increasing number of coronavirus cases and for that special measures were being taken on an emergency basis. The CM said that the GB government had demanded Rs2 billion from the federal government in its fight against the pandemic COVID-19. The chief minister said that our coronavirus testing capacity would be increased in the upcoming days and also urged the people to forge unity in the fight against COVID-19. He instructed the commissioners to pay field visits to monitor the coronavirus situation and apprise people about precautionary measures.
03
Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari said that Balochistan government’s decision to extend lockdown for another 15 days was in accordance with the ground situation because “so far the only effective defence against corona has proven to be isolation, social distancing and lockdown”. In a statement, the PPP chief stressed that the federal government should help Balochistan government in increasing and establishing its testing capacity, isolation and quarantine centres through logistic support so that the country’s poorest and largest province could cope with the alarming conditions, it is facing alongside other provinces. Bilawal demanded that cash transfers should be made immediately similar to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), to coronavirus affectees, especially the daily wagers, unemployed and the most deserving people.
nA session on Monday amid strict precautionary measures ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly session will be held on Monday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic after lawmakers agreed on the standard operating procedures in a meeting, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Talking to media after the meeting of parliamentary leaders chaired by Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam on Tuesday, Qureshi said that it has been decided to convene the huddle at 3 pm amid strict precautionary measures. The committee after elaborate discussion and taking into account the suggestions of the members and parliamentary leaders recommended for restricting to three hours the parliamentary debate in a session, on the measures taken by the government for curtailing the spread of COVID19. The committee recommended that no non-legislative agenda be taken in the session. As far as the attendance of the members was concerned, the committee recommended that it would be prerogrative of the parliamentary leadership of the political parties to manage the attendance of their members. It was also recommended that parliamentarians and staff of the secretariat will be tested for coronavirus ahead of the session. While keeping in view the entry of an extensive number of visitors to the Parliament House during sessions, it was recommended that entry of visitors in the Parliament House and Parliament Lodges will be restricted, however, ministers may be advised to bring only one staff member with them. The committee further recommended that Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) being the representative body of the parliamentary reporters may be asked to decide the number of journalists to cover the proceedings of the sittings of the assembly session. The committee also decided to recommend for plying special flights from Karachi and Quetta to Islamabad during the session. The committee would submit its recommendations to the National Assembly speaker enabling him to make appropriate directions to the government for holding the session of the assembly. STAFF REPORT
