Avoidable stumbles

The aggressive posturing by a ‘cornered’ opposition against an ‘accountability’-obsessed regime is making the gruelling battle against the resurgent coronavirus even more so. And as the opposition’s anti-government endeavour gains momentum, the velocity of the pathogen’s spread is catching the government by surprise.

While Pakistan moved past the first virus wave relatively modestly, it is once again descending fast into the morass of saving lives or saving livelihoods. Curbs, which bit deep the first time around, are knocking on the doors of an administration that is now grappling with the threefold challenge of the pandemic, an agitating opposition, as well as its own myopic focus on corruption.

While there are differing opinions about the incumbent government’s handling of the virus – some bad, most good – one can safely say that it is dealing with the opposition overzealously. Tackling the pandemic, and a sputtering economy all require the ability of the executive to deftly engage with the opposition. The lack thereof has intensified uncertainty, and the ultimate losers of this resultant political uncertainty and its consequences are the hapless masses.

It’s been two years since the captain took reins of the country with a promise to sail it through the storms of corruption, poverty and injustice to the shores of economic progress and a fair society. It is however still caught in a spiral of recurrent political and economic shocks which some critics say are linked to inept governance.

At a time when the nation’s energies should be fully directed towards countering the pandemic’s human and financial shocks and dealing with mammoth economic and security challenges, politicking has taken centre stage in the national discourse. The early gains against the pandemic that the government has been boasting about are at risk of depleting quickly, unless the politicians come together to defeat the common enemy.

The likelihood of that appears grim, given the hardening positions on both sides of the political divide. The PDM has vowed to go ahead with its campaign. It plans to hold its next rally in Lahore on December 13. It’s about time the opposition sees sense and suspends its movement until the vaccine begins to roll out or at least until the virus wave dies down. But the opposition is not wholly to blame here. Several chances to control the virus were sacrificed at the altar of religious expediency and political opportunism. And this vicious cycle is continuing, putting more precious lives and livelihoods at stake.

The lethal mix of conflicting messaging, trivialising the risk of human cost, financial constraints, growing pandemic fatigue, religious and political expediency, traditionally weak enforcement mechanisms and an apathetic mindset have all led to the lacklustre national response. There is a real risk of health facilities becoming overwhelmed as infections continue to see an uptick.

Realising the gravity of the challenges ahead of a global economic slowdown and an uneven recovery, impact on overseas jobs due to changing political realities in the Middle East and ongoing tensions with India, and also while CPEC is yet to generate enough jobs, is of capital importance. Tacking on political uncertainty to the aforementioned challenges is something Pakistan can scarce afford.

Our leadership has often failed us, and this time too doesn’t seem any different. The PDM went ahead with its Multan rally brushing aside coronavirus concerns. It was pilloried by government quarters for doing so. In return, the opposition blamed the PTI government for holding crowded public meetings during the recent Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

In fact, both share the blame for putting people’s lives in harm’s way and thereby setting negative precedents. Fears are being raised about the possibility of a third wave. WHO’s special Covid-19 envoy David Nabarro has warned Europe is likely to see a third wave in early 2021 before a vaccine can be introduced. However, in an encouraging development, the UK has announced it will start vaccinating the population in stages from next week. Despite this achievement, Britain has not lowered its guard against the virus. The British population is still undergoing various levels of curbs.

In the backdrop of the situation the world over and the rising caseload in Pakistan, further stiffening of curbs appears to be unavoidable. Moreover, if Pakistan lags behind other nations in overcoming infections, it could face international travel and trade restrictions for an extended period, which would offset its benefits of keeping businesses open. Keeping the cases to their minimum before a vaccine, which is expected in Pakistan next year, is imperative.

At the moment, Pakistan is taking its chances by pursuing its smart or targeted lockdown policy, championed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been very vocal about his aversion to complete lockdowns, citing the devastating impact on livelihoods. However, Pakistan is fighting this war from a point of weakness – poor implementation of corona-related measures amid a dismal response to calls for voluntary compliance to SOPs. Pakistan’s Covid-19 caseload has been steadily rising with over 50,000 active cases, out of over 400,000 infections reported so far, and more than 8,000 deaths.

It would be unfortunate if we stumble just before the finish line and suffer avoidable deaths in the fight against the pandemic. Those who are losing the battle against the virus are the victims of our collective apathy or economic compulsions, and therefore, their bereaved families deserve to be compensated.

The compensation is the least that the government can do, in addition to its previously announced coronavirus awareness campaign, which itself isn’t very apparent at the moment. To deal with an indifferent public, enforcement should take precedence. Without inconvenience, change won’t come. The opposition should call off its rallies. The government ought to climb off its high horse and tone down its anti-opposition rhetoric which only serves to inflame tensions.

It’s time our leadership corrected their misplaced priorities and truly paid heed to public interest. One cannot build a great nation on the weak foundations of ignorance, indifference or vengeance.

The writer is news editor on the London desk, The News.

Email: khurram.mateen@gmail.com