Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar has said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has issued directions for troops and medical resources to be deployed “as per need” in order to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
Addressing a press briefing Monday, he said that the government had summoned the army for assistance in accordance with the constitution. “This is the time to take tough and difficult decisions on an individual, familial and societal basis,” chief of the military’s media wing said.
He said coronavirus was a danger that “we have never seen in our lifetimes” but that Pakistan Army is fully aware of its duty and would counter the pandemic with the nation’s help.
Maj Gen Iftikhar said he wished to apprise the country’s citizens of the military’s efforts in the war against COVID-19, which has so far infected 882 people and left at least six people dead.
The borders have been closed as a preventive measure but “the actual border is between the man and the coronavirus, which we have yet to take control of”, he said.
“This will only be possible through self-discipline and cooperation. The best defense against the coronovirus is cooperation,” he said, adding that Pakistan was facing a serious challenge and that only with the people’s belief in the state could this problem be resolved.
“Pakistan Army is well aware of its responsibility and will bring all of its resources to use,” he said, assuring the citizens that the army was standing alongside its people.
“Despite being deployed at the Line of Control (LoC) and the western border, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Javed Qamar Bajwa has directed that all available soldiers and the Army’s medical resources be deployed to tackle the coronavirus,” he noted.
“According to the notification issued by the federal and provincial governments, only hospitals, shops selling food items, medical stores, and food and medicine manufacturing industries would only remain open, while schools shall remain closed,” he added.
Maj Gen Iftikhar stressed that the petrol pumps and markets would remain open only according to the timings issued by the respective provincial governments.
The spokesperson also mentioned that Gen Bajwa had decided to donate one month’s salary to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, while personnel between the ranks of Brig to Lt Gen would donate three days’ worth of their salaries. The personnel below the Col rank and soldiers would donate two and one days’ worth of their salaries, respectively, he added.
Maj Gen Iftikhar also urged people to follow the guidelines issued by health authorities and the government.
With regard to the Pakistan Day, he said the citizens — the heirs of those who fought for the country’s independence — “face a new challenge, an evil that has taken over the entire world … so much so that even the developed nations seem powerless against COVID-19”.
The army spokesperson added that there was a need for everyone to once again unite with a passion for safe Pakistan. “Today is also a day to remember our Kashmiri brothers and sisters, who, despite being helpless in the face of the worst state-sanctioned terrorism and this natural disaster, are an example of resistance in their fight for the right to self-determination,” he added.
“People of the occupied Kashmir will be successful in their struggle,” he added.
In a rather embarrassing development for the government, the Information Ministry has shared fake claims regarding Chinese help for Pakistan amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — and later deleted its tweet.
As per the details, the Information Ministry, which is responsible to release government information to the public and international communities, on Sunday in a now-deleted tweet claimed that 200 Chinese doctors had reached Islamabad to help the country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
It also said that China was providing Pakistan with $34 million for treatment of the infected.
The same was tweeted by Radio Pakistan as well.
Since the the national public broadcaster for radio also deleted its tweet, an archived version of it can be viewed here.
Speaking to The Current, an official, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed not only that the two claims were fake, but also that the tweets had been deleted after it was pointed out.
They, however, said that China had given Pakistan $4 million in aid and the claim pertaining to the provision of 300,000 medical face masks besides 10 ventilators was also true.
This was confirmed by Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar as well.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote:
I would like to thank the People's Republic of China for providing grant assistance of USD 4 million along with 300,000 medical face masks, 10 ventilators and other equipment. They have also undertaken to arrange for much greater number of ventilators.
Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.
The minister tweeted a video message to reveal that he had tested positive for the virus.
گذشتہ روز میں نے کورونا وائرس کا ٹیسٹ کروایا جسکی رپورٹ مثبت آئی ہے تاحال جو Symptoms اس وائرس کے بتائے جاتے ہیں ان میں سے مجھے کچھ محسوس نہیں ہورہا اور میں خود کو بالکل صحتمند محسوس کررہا ہوں اور اپنی ذمہ داریاں گھر پر isolation میں رہ کر ادا کررہا ہوں۔ شہری بھی گھروں پر رہیں pic.twitter.com/2vzS7qt0SY
“The previous day I got myself tested for the coronavirus and the results came back positive,” he said. “However, I am not feeling any of the symptoms of the virus and feel completely fine.”
In the video message, Ghani went on to advise people he came into contact with a few days ago to isolate themselves and go into quarantine.
“If your health deteriorates further, please get yourselves checked by a doctor,” he said. “I consider it my responsibility to inform people so that those who came into contact with me can also quarantine and self-isolate themselves as I may have transmitted the infection to them.”
The top military brass has held a special meeting to discuss the measures taken by the military to support the federal and provincial governments in the fight against the coronavirus.
According to the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), corps commanders took part in the meeting via videolink.
The commanders expressed resolve to assist the government in its efforts to contain the pandemic. It may be noted here that Punjab and Balochistan government have sought the army’s help to impose the lockdown in the provinces.
On Saturday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa directed the Pakistan Army to fast-track operations to help out the civil administration as the country grapples with a rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.
“As a follow up of National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting on March 20 chaired by the Prime Minister Imran Khan and COAS’ meeting with PM, the COAS directs for stepping up Army’s assistance to civil administration for containment of COVID-19,” the military’s media-wing had said in a statement.
As the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — continues to spread in Punjab, Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum Hospital but not public sector hospitals.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, YDA office demanded safety kits for the entire staff of hospitals dealing with suspected coronavirus patients, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, and termed the arrangements made by the government as insufficient.
They said that the safety kits provided to the doctors in hospitals were not according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and they were working under highly vulnerable circumstances. “The N95 masks are not available in the hospitals despite the fact that the staff treating [COVID-19] patients used the same mask in all hospitals worldwide,” the doctors said.
President of YDA Punjab Dr Salman Haseeb Chaudhry said that the isolation wards should be established outside the hospitals according to the guidelines of the WHO. “The isolation wards inside the hospitals are high risk,” he said, adding that there was an urgent need of 4,500 ventilators in hospitals to deal with the pandemic but unfortunately Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid had “failed miserably to deal with it”.
He also accused the government of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum Hospital.
WATCH VIDEO:
Punjab doctors claim #coronavirus free kits are being supplied to Shaukat Khanum hospital only and nothing for the govt hospitals. pic.twitter.com/E56erMXnI1
“But public sector hospitals are unable to get the same by the government.”
According to Dr Salman, all doctors, nurses and paramedics were working in very vulnerable circumstances without proper safety kits and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan would be responsible if any unfortunate incident took place.
Meanwhile, The Express Tribune quoted an official of Shaukat Khanum Hospital as saying that around two dozen citizens approached the hospital for free coronavirus test, of whom the hospital management has conducted tests of eight or nine individuals who had recent travel history, while the remaining citizens were sent back after prescribing medicines.
He said that the hospital had a limited number of coronavirus test kits that cannot be used for every citizen who has doubt of the infection. Responding to a question, he indicated that the government has notified coronavirus test rate of Rs7,900 but it is being conducted free of cost.
A representative of a laboratory disclosed that it also has a coronavirus test facility against payment of Rs7,900 as notified by the government. However, several citizens complained that some private hospitals were charging over Rs9,000 for the same test.
It is pertinent to note that that government has notified 14 laboratories for coronavirus tests, one of which is Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Lahore.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked provinces to convert all 3 and 4-star hotels into quarantine centres in the fight against the new coronavirus, ARY reported.
According to reports, the NDMA has written a letter to the federal interior secretary and all four provincial chief secretaries in this regard.
The move comes after Pakistan witnessed an increase in COVID-19 cases over the ongoing week.
In the letter, the NDMA has said it is necessary to take preventative measures against the coronavirus as per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
The hotels will be made into quarantine centres with one person in one room, the report said.
It merits a mention here that the number of novel coronavirus cases in Pakistan has surged to 341 with two confirmed deaths in Mardan and Hangu.
Meanwhile, the number of recovered patients in Pakistan stands at three.
Urging the nation to show unity in the persisting difficult time, President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed the need to form a China-like volunteer force in Pakistan to fight the new coronavirus.
President Alvi, in a video message, said China has fought the coronavirus pandemic on the national-level and formed a force of volunteers which was also needed in Pakistan.
He said that people must unite to face the challenge instead of panicking, and asked clerics to raise awareness regarding COVID-19. The president also asked media houses to play their role in spreading awareness so that people adopt prevention measures.
WATCH VIDEO:
The president said that China was facing isolation and extreme criticism from the West over the spread of coronavirus, but, he added, the Chinese leadership has appreciated Pakistan for exhibiting full confidence in Beijing and not bringing back students.
He admitted that the Pakistani students, who had shown concerns over not being repatriated from China, studying in 15 different universities in the virus-hit country had also now changed their opinion after being looked after by Chinese authorities in a better way.
“I have thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping over taking good care of them [Pakistani students in Wuhan/Hubei].”
He also said the Chinese exhibited great resilience and unity against COVID-19 pandemic and Pakistan should learn from their experience to combat the disease.
The president added that during his trip to the erstwhile epicentre of the virus, he held hours-long discussions with the Chinese leadership over effective measures adopted by Beijing to contain COVID-19.
With the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — making its way to Punjab and leaving at least 33 infected, people are criticising the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar-led administration for “lagging behind other provinces” such as Sindh where strict measures are being taken by the provincial government to contain the pandemic.
Amid accusations of what people say is the “inability” of the Punjab government to take the global pandemic seriously, Dawn has quoted CM Buzdar as asking experts that “how does coronavirus bite”.
“A few days ago Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar received a detailed briefing on coronavirus from relevant experts and officials. The purpose was to provide him all the information he required as the chief executive of the largest province, so he could make the right decisions. At the end of the briefing, the chief minister asked a question innocently: ‘Yeh corona kaat-ta kaisay hai? (how does this corona bite)?’,” the report by the English daily’s resident editor, Fahd Husain, claimed.
It further said that “nothing could better illustrate the state of affairs in Punjab today than this simple question asked by the head of the province about a crisis that has nothing simple about it”.
“The gap between the magnitude of the challenge that COVID-19 has thrown and the scale of the response so far is wider than anyone would like to imagine. The reasons are far more numerous than the capacity issues of one provincial chief minister,” the report said.
While the national tally of infections for now stands at 302 with at least two fatalities, globally, 158 countries have been affected, nearly 7,000 people have died and more than 190,000 are infected by COVID-19.
The epicentre of the outbreak has now shifted to Europe, which is recording a rapid rise in new cases every day.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed has criticised the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led federal government for its inability to contain the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — at the border, leading to an outbreak in the country.
The total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 296 in the country with 208 cases in Sindh while Punjab has 28, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 19, Balochistan has 23, Islamabad two, Gilgit-Baltistan 14 and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, two patients were confirmed to have died in KP on Wednesday, making them the first cases of death due to the deadly virus in Pakistan.
The CJP was referring to the pilgrim influx from Iran through the Taftan border. Almost half of the Zaireen, who are kept at a largely mismanaged tent city at the border, have tested positive for the virus.
“The coronavirus came from abroad through the airports due to PIA and the government’s incompetence,” remarked CJP. He noted that the coronavirus is now being talked about everywhere in the country.
“If security remains like this, then I do not know what kind of new diseases will be introduced to the country [in the future],” remarked the CJP.
The top judge was also irked by the National Security Committee’s (NSC) request to adjourn civil cases and instruct magistrates and sessions judges to conduct hearings at prisons for three weeks.
He observed that the authorities had not made arrangements to minimise the risk instead asked the judges to suspend judicial work.
The CJP made the remarks while hearing a plea filed by Air Marshal Arshad Malik seeking a stay against the Sindh High Court’s December 2019, order restraining him from working as the chief executive officer of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The SC allowed Malik to continue performing his duties as the head of the national carrier.
During the hearing, the CJP asked the government to explain a single good thing that happened in the national airline.
“PIA is playing with the lives of the people,” CJP Ahmed complained.
However, Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed defended Malik and described him as a competent person. He added that, God-willing, Malik would take the PIA forward. However, the CJP interjected and told the government lawyer that work cannot be done by merely uttering “By the grace of God”, “God-willing” and “Thanks be to God”.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan also criticised the government, saying that the court knows that a lot of lobbies were working against the airline.
“There are lobbies inside PIA who do not want it to work,” remarked the judge. He also suggested that the air marshal implement those decisions which a political government cannot.
“If actions had already been taken, the airline would not have been in its present state,” Justice Ahsan said.
To this, the AGP replied that if Arshad Malik is allowed to work as the CEO, he will take all those actions. He added that whenever the court will say that Malik has to go, he will go.
As the global pandemic of the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — continues to spread in Pakistan with nearly 250 infections, the Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar-led Punjab government appears to be lagging behind other provincial administrations such as that of Sindh where a spike in coronavirus cases has led to strict measures being put in place to contain the disease.
SOCIAL INTERACTION:
As per the details, Punjab has woken up late to the grave challenge of coronavirus, a proof of which is it appearing scrambled to find ways to deal with the crisis while struggling to enforce its own imposition of Section 144 to discourage public gathering as chaos and panic mar daily routine.
While 10,000 people reside at the Tableegi Markaz in Raiwind, another mosque, Masjid Ibrahim, is ramping up preparations to hold a big gathering to mark ‘Shabe Jumma‘. These centres are sending off at least a dozen parties to 150-200 mosques in the city for preaching purposes, whereas almost 1,000 parties [jamaats] are going across Pakistan for the same.
The activities are nothing but a recipe for disaster as they can lead to a countrywide spread of the virus. But Raiwind Assistant Commissioner (AC) Adnan Rasheed says the ijtima [gathering] won’t lead to an increase in the coronavirus cases as the authorities have washed and chlorinated the area where the gathering is being held.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Afzal Danish, on the other hand, says the Raiwind gathering is in violation of the law and such transgression would be dealt with. “All gatherings have been banned. There is no decision on Friday prayers as of yet because we need the sanction of religious authorities,” he said, adding any other activity inside or outside any mosque would be a violation.
But that’s not it.
While according to the DC, shelter homes — another place with maximum social interaction — have been told to serve food to groups of two or three at a time in addition to bedding made at a distance of three feet, The Current has learnt that none of the shelter homes in Lahore are observing the measures as almost 4,484 people are living together and hundreds gather there to eat on a daily basis.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS:
Meanwhile, schools and universities are also flouting the government’s ban. The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and various private schools remain open for faculty in complete disregard of the measures taken by the government.
To prevent children and students from getting infected by the coronavirus pandemic, the government of Punjab had last week ordered all educational institutes, including private ones, throughout the province to remain closed till April 5 at least.
LAHORE: People pray outside the Sacred Heart Cathedral as it was closed after Pakistan shut all its schools and discouraged large gatherings amid coronavirus fears. (Reuters)
The instructions had come keeping in view the situation of the pandemic as the government had also imposed an emergency in the province. Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid had said that the Punjab CM reviewed the situation emerging out of an increasing number of positive coronavirus cases in the region and the status of preparedness at health facilities in the province.
ECONOMICS:
According to reports, the Punjab government is also grappling with the shortage of hand sanitisers while face masks are being sold at exorbitant rates. “Most of the stores do not have face masks and hand sanitisers, and if they have, they are selling these items at a 300 per cent surge rate,” read a report submitted to CM Buzdar.
With the courts being petitioned to take notice in this regard, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Mamoon Rashid Sheikh has summoned the federal and provincial authorities concerned to explain their position. In an earlier hearing, Punjab healthcare officials had told the court that the government imposed a ban on hoarding and profiteering of surgical masks in wake of their demands following the coronavirus pandemic.
It said FIRs [Firs Information Reports] were being registered against the hoarders and profiteers under Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act of 1977 among other laws. However, shopkeepers, amid the unavailability of these commodities, are blaming wholesalers.
DOCTORS AT RISK:
Separately, young doctors have also gone on a strike over the shortage of safety kits.
Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) has demanded safety kits for the entire staff of hospitals dealing with the suspected corona patients, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, while terming the arrangements made by the government as insufficient.
The YDA office bearers said that the safety kits provided to the doctors in hospitals are not according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and that they were working under highly vulnerable circumstances. “The N95 masks are not available in the hospitals despite the fact that the staff treating corona patients used the same mask in all the hospitals across the globe,” the doctors said.
LAHORE: A view of scanning and checking of body temperature of passengers arriving from different cities in the provincial capital of Punjab.(Online)
While following a meeting with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, YDA has announced calling off its strike in public sector hospitals, they have warned taking to streets once again if their demands are not met at the earliest. Sarwar has reportedly taken notice and ordered the vice chancellor of the University of Health Sciences to provide safety kits to the doctors within 24 hours.
WHAT THE GOVT IS DOING:
It has been reported that the government is going to purchase 200 ventilators and expand isolation wards in Mayo and Services hospitals. The Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI&RC), on the other hand, has been dedicated to coronavirus treatment while a separate 70-bed block is being established.
Punjab government would also purchase 300 screening kits. Further, the government will provide coronavirus kits at subsidised rates to private hospitals and laboratories.
A hostel of the University of Engineering Technology (UET) has been converted into a 400-bed hospital for coronavirus patients, while the campuses of UET and GCU in Kala Shah Kaku are where suspected patients will be kept.
A government spokesperson told The Current that while CM Buzdar is engaging senior journalists and religious leaders to help the government in spreading coronavirus awareness, the government itself is also doing its best to deal with the crisis.
LAHORE: A family wears face masks to help prevent exposure to the new coronavirus as they travel on a motorbike. (AP)
The spokesperson shared that the government had 40 high dependency units (isolation wards) in major government hospitals across Punjab, one government testing facility in Lahore and Rawalpindi each and a private testing facility of Shaukat Khanum helping them for free. They also shared details of the quarantine facilities the government has ready for patients and said that protective suits were provided to all healthcare professionals working in isolation wards.
“The CM himself is at the forefront, and in this regard, will today (Wednesday) chair an apex committee meeting, visit the quarantine facilities established in Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan besides holding a media briefing to clarify the situation for people,” the spokesperson added.
To a question, they said the government was deliberating certain other steps too, but couldn’t do much without the masses’ help.
