ISLAMABAD: The opposition members in the National Assembly on Wednesday while accusing the government of lacking in having a national strategy against COVID-19, asked the rulers to adopt a cross party approach and development synergy among the provinces to control the pandemic.
“Will the government agree on national listening and consult the opposition on the situation instead just delivering speeches and telling stories of consensus,” former prime minister and the senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said while taking part in debate on the COVID-19 situation.
He also observed that the prime minister could deliver twelve speeches but never thought it proper to consult the opposition parties and attend the National Assembly proceedings. “We will not indulge in character assassination but it is our responsibility to speak on vital national issues,” he said.
The proceedings of the House which was convened to evolve a strategy and a national approach against COVID-19 pandemic witnessed blame game from both sides. The members from both sides including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Abdul Qadar Patel and Zartaj Gul Wazir availed themselves of every opportunity to criticise opponents.
Others who participated in the debate included Shahida Akhtar Ali, Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Agha Hassan Baloch, Khalil Magsi, Mohsin Dawar, Shaikh Salahuddin and Ameer Haider Hoti.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi went on to say that there is contradiction in statements of the minister on the COVID-19 situation. A minister, a few days back said Pakistan has daily testing capacity of 40,000 while the foreign minister only on Monday said the capacity is 20,000 tests on daily basis.
He questioned the government as to what national strategy it was following to prevent 220 million people from COVID-19. “I challenge the ministers to reveal uniform strategy of the government on the floor but they will not able to do so,” he said adding the he foreign minister said the government evolving the national strategy.
Ridiculing statements of ministers with regard to 18th Amendment, the PML-N leader said the statements give an impression that only cure to COVID-19 is to do away with the amendment. “We are ready to cooperate with the government if prevention against COVID-19 lies in ending the 18th Amendment,” he said.
Questioning approach and thought of the ministers, he said they did not even know difference between quarantine and isolation while it also failed in reaching a testing protocol. As much as Rs11 trillion has been earmarked for the health sector but not even single penny was spent for the purpose.
Responding to allegations against the past governments, the former prime minister said the ventilator, which previously was available for 10,000 dollars was now available for 60,000 dollars and people were getting rich.
Talking about response of the prime minister to the situation, he said the premier had delivered 12 speeches so far. “Sometime, the prime minister said there is no lockdown and then he stated that the elite class had gone for lockdown,” he said.
He pointed that there was complete curfew outside residence of the prime minister the same day when he said there would be no lockdown. “He invented new term of smart lockdown and now he is saying he is easing the lockdown,” he observed.
Saying that the country would be facing grave situation in the next two weeks, but the government was lacking unified national strategy to face peak of the pandemic. “The infection rate previously was around 8 percent and has now reached 11 percent as is obvious from 11,800 tests conducted on Tuesdaty,” he said.
He said it was responsibility of the federal government to address issue of infectious diseases like polio. “The man who was operator of prime minister’s twitter account was made head of the national polio programme,” he said.
Saying that peak time of COVID-19 was yet to start but the government was still lacking in a national strategy. “The photo sessions, websites and making new forums will not serve the purpose,” he said.
On issue of NFC award, he said if the government goes for reducing share of federating units in the award, the provinces would face disaster and in return, the centre would also get nothing.
He also suggested formation of special committee of the House to monitor the situation on daily basis. Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood said the government did announce the lockdown but the country could not afford to prolong for an unlimited period.
The minister said the COVID-19 spread had also exposed many weaknesses of the 18th amendment questioning as to how the subjects of electricity and gas could belong to provinces.
He regretted that the House so far has achieved nothing from the speeches, which he said were meant only to grill the government. “Instead of fight against COVID-19, we are fighting with one another,” he said.
He said the government is planning to launch Radio School to impart education to students in wake of coronavirus pandemic. He said the government has already launched Tele School, which is educating students of various classes from eight in the morning till six in the evening.
The MQM parliamentarian Salahuddin termed gathering parliamentarians from across the country under one roof to hold the proceedings as a big joke. “This is not understandable as to why the opposition requisitioned the National Assembly gathering them at one place when there is partial or complete lockdown across the board,” he said.
He also came harsh on the role of Sindh government with regard to what he said so-called complete lockdown in the province. “The Sindh chief minister announced complete lockdown but did nothing in practical,” he said adding the provincial government deceived people in the name of lockdown.
He observed that industrial sector was closed down totally whereas the Layari areas and grocery shops and auto workshops were opened all the time. He regretted that the country was not prepared to face the pandemic situation after it broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Former prime minister and senior PPP leader observed that the COVID-19 pandemic became a threat to the humanity in a matter of few days. He observed that any point scoring in speeches would not serve purpose for which the session was summoned and would deviate attention from the real issue.
He regretted while recalling that Prime Minister Imran Khan left after delivering his speech at the All Parties Conference called by the Speaker which he said dented hopes of a national approach and consensus on the issue.
He pointed out that the PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari offered his party’s all out support to the government on issue of COVID-19. He regretted remarks of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his opening speech when he accused the PPP leadership of fanning provincialism in the country. “It is the PPP leaders starting from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Bilawal who stand for federalism.”
The government’s measure did not match the grave situation and it remained indecisive and whenever it took any decision, the same was confused. Moreover, the PPP leader said the PTI government in the Centre did not want to make coordinated efforts with the provinces and hurdles were created in working of the provincial governments.
He also criticised the government for not reducing prices of petroleum products in the country in conformity with international market prices. In this regard, he referred to speeches of the Minister for Planning Asam Umar who while sitting on opposition benches used to criticise the government on this same issue.
Former prime minister warned the government that it should not expect national consensus out of the ongoing proceedings of the House when the ministers would unleash criticism on the PPP leadership. “We reserve the right to respond if a young minister will stand and attack personality of our top leadership,” he said.
The PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said he has not got the opportunity to openly speak on floor of the house after months but he said it was very difficult to speak before people having biased approach the foundation of which was laid by the incumbent government.
Pointing out that there was no health minister in the cabinet, he observed that the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister who is not an elected representative would not be answerable to the masses.
He questioned creation of the tiger force, the fire-brand PML-N leader said the person who proposed the idea himself was never elected as a councilor adding instead of taking such steps, the services of the government departments should be utilised.
Turning to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he said the NAB was misused during tenure of every government. “It was misused during our era and it is also being misused by the present government,” he said.
He said that he would not agree with claims of the incumbent government that Pakistan currently has best testing facilities in the South Asia. Pointing out that correct figures of deaths were not available, the opposition’s parliamentarian said even the foreign minister was not being provided the actual data.
He observed that number of medial and para medical staff being infected with COVID-19 was result of non-provision of protective kits to them. Talking about economic performance of the government, he said even prior to first positive case in Pakistan, the government was able make collection of Rs37 billion against revenue target of Rs55 billion.
Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir questioned if the PML-N government had constructed high standard hospitals in the country, its leaders went abroad for treatment.
Without naming Shahbaz Sharif, she said one PML-N returned to Pakistan while claiming to fight against COVID-19 but in first instance, he opposed the virtual session of the National Assembly and then he opted to stay home when regular session was in progress.
She said the PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif demanded return of Pakistan students from China but later it was proved, that government’s decision was correct.
He said that independent surveys have also reported the prime minister took wise decisions adding Rs12,000 per person were given as relief and not as a political bribe. “We also distributed Rs23 billion under Ehsas Programme in a transparent way,” she said.
Zartaj Gul regretted that people were not acting in a responsible way while taking advantage of ease in lockdown. “This is also regrettable that ladies are coming out for shopping without precautionary measures,” she observed.
Criticising performance of the PPP government in Sindh, he said they distributed old ration of Rs1 billion among people contrary to claims of Rs8 billion spending on ration.
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) parliamentarian Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali called for seeking mercy of Almighty Allah.
He thanked the Chinese government for taking care of Pakistani students who were stranded in the country due to spread of COVID-19. He questioned as to why the government, which has been claiming of following model of state of Madina, has deprived mosques and Madaris of relief package.
Khalid Magsi of Balchistan National Party (BAP) regretted that instead of focusing on the real issue, the opponents were indulging verbal fight in the house. “Instead of continuing blame game, we will have to strengthen the House to formulate concrete policies,” he said.
Mohsin Dawar saluted doctors and para medical staff for performing their professional duties in the difficult circumstances. Abdul Qadar Patel of PPP said the PTI government, which announced to fight against the pandemic, soon turned its guns to the Sindh province. “It seems that it is not the coronavirus but it is performance of the Sindh government which is worrying the PTI leadership,” he said.
Criticising strategy adopted by the government, he said the prime minister was confused whether he should announce lockdown or not. “The prime minister is also taking credit of successful lockdown, which was observed in the Sindh province,” he said.
Feeling absence of the Prime Minister Imran Khan, the PPP parliamentarian said owing to age factor, it was better for him to stay at home. Agha Hasan Baloch of Balochistan National Party (Mengal) said it was due to negligence of the Balochistan government that COVID-19 spread to whole the country saying his party had already expressed reservations over poor management in Taftan.
He maintained that his party would strongly oppose rolling back the 18th amendment adding that Javed Jabbar who has been taken as member on NFC, did not belong to the Balochistan province. “The PTI government should refrain from taking such decision keeping in view sensitive situation of Balochistan province,” he said.
Ameer Haider Hoti of ANP advised not to create controversies with regard to the NFC award and the 18th amendment which could harm the national unity. “The provinces will not be ready to reduce their share in the NFC award as a number of subject have been devolved to provinces with passage of the 18th amendment,” he said.
He said there was need to adopt short term and medium term need based strategy to avert any crisis in the country.
He said the government needed to launch awareness campaign as the masses were still lacking in social distancing. He pointed out that the KP province where over 5,000 have been infected, was registering higher number of deaths due to COVID-19. “We are observing social distancing in Islamabad but same is not the case in our native towns,” he said.
Shahida Akhtar Ali of JUI-F expressed her doubts about data relating to COVID-19 positive and deaths related to the pandemic. She also demanded constitution of a committee to monitor transparent import of equipment relating to COVID-19.
