Daily wagers still wait for assistance

Rawalpindi:Poor daily wagers still waiting for government help in a practical way and have been roaming here and there in search of food but in vain. Meanwhile women from daily wagers families in the state of gloom have started knocking at the doors (begging) for three times meal for their children.

All points where free of cost food had been served in past have also been closed during the lockdown, which has added fuel to fire and poor daily wagers and their families spending day and night in hunger.

On the other hand, law enforcement agencies have registered 449 cases and arrested 902 violators under the provision imposed to help cope with the coronavirus outbreak in a week.

The poor daily wagers have claimed that they were without work and without food for over two weeks but government was only busy in conducting meetings instead of taking practical steps least to provide three times meal to them.

No doubt, some of philanthropists in city are taking practical steps to provide poor people food but government is only busy in making plans to establish ‘Crona Tigers Force’ to make registration of hungry people, the poor daily wagers strongly denounced.

‘The News’ has interviewed several daily wagers including barbers, waiters, welders, painters, flower sellers, sweepers, mechanics, shoe polishers, fruit chaat sellers how they are spending day and night in lockdown situation. They have strongly denounced government policies and said that they are ready to stay at homes even for a long time but how could they survive without food.

Sumaira Bashir, wife of a daily wager was knocking at the doors in Munawar Colony said that “I am not a professional beggar but came out from home to beg three times meal for my children.” My husband is a daily wager but there was no work for over two weeks. Shopkeepers have also refused to give us kitchen items without money, so how we could survive in this situation,” she said.

Jalal Din, a daily wager said that government has left us in the lurch in this time of trial. “I have registered my family members at three different places to get three times meal but in vain. I went to Jamia Masjid Road where free of cost food is distributed but unfortunately all hotels shut down here in lockdown. Where we should go in this situation,” he bemoaned.

Sabir Hussain, a barber said that he is also a daily wager working in a barber shop. “We have five members in house three children and my wife all we are seeing towards Prime Minister Imran Khan. But, government is only making plans rather taking practical steps to provide us food,” he strongly denounced.

Muhammad Shakil, another daily wager said that thousands of families have stocked kitchen items for a long time but we did not have food even for a day. “Where is government in this difficult time where should we go and how we should survive in this situation,” he said. “We are and we will follow the orders of government and stay at home but when government should provide us three times meal,” he said.

The other daily wagers said that widespread fear of coronavirus disrupted routine life but majority of families in the state of fear and panic are stocking kitchen items for a long time while we (daily wagers) are facing hunger for over two weeks. They appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take practical steps for provision of food to poor and needy families during lockdown.