Bilawal, Shahbaz discuss virus situation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with PML-N President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif with regard to the situation following the coronavirus pandemic.

Bilawal and Shahbaz agreed to work together to mitigate the crisis that has already claimed the lives of over 25 persons and caused infection to over 1,875 people. The issue of the Parliamentary Committee on Monitoring Coronavirus came under discussion.

Shahbaz appreciated the steps taken by the Sindh government in the battle against coronavirus. Bilawal was of the view that the coronavirus pandemic could be defeated only through joint actions and coordination.

It is to be mentioned here that the Multi-Parties Conference of the Opposition which was jointly chaired by Bilawal and Shahbaz had agreed to jointly fight the challenge posed by coronavirus. Though Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar has already formed a 25-member parliamentary committee last week, comprising members from both houses of the parliament, no meeting of it has been held so far. The parliamentary committee was headed by Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar.

During the telephonic conversation, Bilawal and Shahbaz decided that they will contact other opposition parties to convene the parliamentary committee’s meeting. According to sources, it was decided that the health committees of both houses of the parliament could approach the chairman Senate and the speaker National Assembly to convene the meeting through video link.

Later, Shahbaz made a telephonic contact with other opposition leaders including Chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq and Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.

Lahore correspondent adds: Shahbaz, after consultation with leaders of opposition parties, issued a joint declaration rejecting the creation of Tiger Force as a political stunt and called for immediately setting up a Parliamentary Monitoring Committee to prevent the usage of the Coronavirus Relief Fund for political purposes.

Shahbaz contacted Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Siraj-ul-Haq, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Head Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Qaumi Watan Party Chief Aftab Shairpao and National Party Head Hasil Khan Bazinjo. In a joint charter of demands, the leaders called for setting up a parliamentary committee for the monitoring and just distribution of the Coronavirus Relief Fund. They demanded that a Parliamentary Monitoring Committee be set up immediately to ensure transparency of how and where the goods are being procured and used. They demanded that the criteria for disbursement of ration among labourers and the deserving be clearly shared and followed, and warned the government against using this money for political gains.

The demanded that a meeting of the Coronavirus Parliamentary Senate Committee and Standing Committee on Health be called immediately and be briefed on the real on-ground situation. The opposition leaders demanded that coronavirus testing be made free at all hospitals and the scope of testing be widened. The PMDC must be revived and operationalized with immediate effect.

The leaders renewed their call for the provision of protective gear to doctors, nurses and paramedics and provision of ventilators. They stressed that the awareness campaign be spread far and wide with all regional and national sources of information dissemination. A Disease Surveillance System is imperative and must be established while factual data be gathered and truth be shared with the nation.

They rejected the Tiger Force and said that in the presence of the police and Rangers, this step is mere political gimmickry. Therefore, they said the nation’s money and resources must not be wasted on this. Instead, the local government must be revived immediately to boost the administrative force.