Stay home appeal falls on deaf ears

LAHORE: Although the coronavirus has drastically changed the cultural horizon and habits of people all around the world including Pakistan, the people of the provincial metropolis are clinging to their decades old cultural traditions yet by frequenting the city roads and markets despite looming threat of covid-19 over everyone’s head.

Despite the great resolve of Prime Minister Imran Khan to fight corona till its elimination from the country, around-the-clock vigilance of security forces and warnings given through the media and other sources by the government, ignoring the caution and chanting words “God Will Protect Us’’, men, women and children can be seen wandering on roads on foot or on bikes and cars without having any valid reason for their adventurous outings while jeopardising the lives of their own beloved kids and family members but also putting the lives of thousands of unsuspecting innocent people who are religiously following the most effective adherent against Coronavirus -”Stay Home & Stay Safe”. Nevertheless, the fact remains that unlike the government of Sindh, the Punjab government, despite beating its own trumpet on the media rigorously for the last couple of months, had been lagging far behind the Sindh government in taking prompt, timely and much needed measures against coronavirus for the protection of the innocent public. The lake of will and sincerity of purpose is still ‘invisible’ in the haphazard actions being taken by the government’s stalwarts on the helm of affairs except holding controlled press conferences in official venues. Police force, law enforcement agencies, Pak Army, doctors and paramedical staff are making efforts to combat this most cruel alien enemy of mankind while putting their lives on stake.

However, no government alone can defeat such a big threat single handedly without the cooperation and help of its people. However, this process is always reciprocal. On the other hand, the government is also expected to be right there all the time to protect, facilitate, support and assist the masses in every possible way. Sadly enough, this much required need of the hour does not seem to be present in practical terms as the people are facing great difficulties in obtaining many food items, predominantly, flour and sugar. On top of the prevailing dearness and scarcity of essential items, the ever-increasing prices of many essential; items and their shortage is another great challenge looking right in the face of the Punjab government which has not been able to harness the malicious demons of hoarding and unchecked price hikes. Another sorry affair of the present scenario on the part of the government is that the unrealistic steps being taken by the political big wigs on the helm of affairs by forcing the doctors, medical students, paramedical staff and nurses on the job without providing them the most essential protective medial gears to keep them safe from Covid-19 in the hospitals and other medical facilities before asking them to come on the jobs. Another much requires element, absent in the palms of the government’s war against corona remains the public awareness campaign on the grassroots level. The cleaning and spraying of the vulnerable and disease breeding points in the city and a general cleaning exercise is nowhere to be seen yet even after 10 days of the lockdown. After all said and done, there is still one most important and most essential weapon to combat this internationally devastating monster remains the lack of unity and sense of national interest among all political players in the country, especially the government and the opposition. There is a great need to become one fist to come out of this greatest natural calamity which the world has ever seen.