PA opposition leader calls for unity to avert COVID-19 threat

The leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, who belongs to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has said that despite his party’s differences with the Pakistan Peoples Party, the PTI was extending all possible support to the Sindh government for its measures against the spread of coronavirus.

He said the viral disease had locked down the entire world and all the political parties should unite to defeat the pandemic.

According to Naqvi, there had been some negligence at airports regarding coronavirus but it was later rectified. He said the federal and provincial government should create awareness about COVID-19 and unnecessary panic should also not be created.

Meanwhile, Grand Democratic Alliance MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi echoed Naqvi’s stance as she said at this critical moment, the opposition needed to support the Sindh government’s measures to prevent coronavirus from spreading.

The GDA lawmaker praised the Sindh government for taking appropriate measures such as screening at airports. She said earlier there were reports that there was no checking at the airports due to which some coronavirus patients could not be detected.

She also praised the decision to close all the schools and educational institutions, saying that such preventive measures were for the safety of children. Nusrat said the pandemic must be fought collectively in the country.

Rumours quashed

In the meantime, Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said the reports on social media that talked about the lockdown of Karachi were fake news.

In a statement, the minister said there was no such plan to lock down the city as a preventive measure against coronavirus. He warned those who were spreading such rumours that action might be taken against them under cybercrime laws.

Shah said the people should not unnecessarily panic and they should rest assured that the government was alert and taking all the required steps to contain COVID-19.

He clarified that the city was not going to be locked down, however, there was a ban on public meetings.

Flower show cancelled

A flower show that had to be inaugurated by Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar was also cancelled as an anti-coronavirus measure.

District Municipal Corporation Central Chairman Rehan Hashmi told The News that the flower exhibition was to be held in North Nazimabad but since a large number of people would have visited it, it was cancelled.