Senior member of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Punjab minister Aleem Khan, who according to reports is “disgruntled” ever since a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation was launched into his assets, has telephoned rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah to discuss with him the fast-changing political scenario, especially in Punjab, The News reported.
According to reports, Aleem contacted the PML-N stalwart and told him that he wanted to discuss “some important issues in the context of the fast-changing political scenario”, which Sanaullah immediately brought to the attention of party chief Shehbaz Sharif.
“PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah immediately informed PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif about this political development. He [Sanaullah] was told to wait until he gives him directives in this regard,” the report quoted sources as saying.
They said the PML-N leadership would assess all political options but is likely to keep a safe distance from “segments of PTI allegedly involved in the wheat or sugar crises” and are being accused of making billions through government subsidies and price hike, the report stated.
“Aleem Khan had also approached Rana Sanaullah in the past when he was practically sidelined due to his growing differences with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over the state of affairs in Punjab,” sources told The News and added that when Sanaullah was arrested in the controversial narcotics case, the PTI member had back then also sent him text messages, saying he hoped that the PML-N leader comes out clean.
When contacted, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah confirmed that he had a detailed telephonic conversation with Aleem and the two discussed the current political situation in the country.
To a question, he said it was too early to say if the PML-N and the disgruntled PTI group led by Aleem would put in any efforts to bring in-house changes in Punjab because his party had a principled stance in this respect.
“First we want electoral reforms and then we seek fresh general elections but there can be an interim arrangement till the completion of these goals,” Sanaullah said, adding that if someone said that Aleem had the support of only 20 to 25 PTI lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, they would be underestimating him. “I personally know his real strength among the ranks of the PTI.”
To another question, he said some PTI members from Punjab had contacted the PML-N in the past as well but the leadership had decided that it would be useless to participate in power politics without having any people-oriented political agenda.
In his first media encounter after resigning as Punjab food minister, Samiullah Chaudhry has claimed that Asad Umar, as then federal finance minister, had asked for exporting wheat despite his opposition, Dawn reported.
Threatening to expose the forces involved in the wheat flour report conspiracy, he said the inquiry committee never wished to summon him for investigation.
“Asad Umar as federal finance minister had chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad early last year and asked for exporting some of the wheat stocks, 7.2 million tonnes in Punjab at that time. I opposed the move because the government would have to offer subsidy for the export [for the grain being costlier than the world prices],” he said while speaking to a private media outlet.
“I said the country could not afford to give the subsidy and suggested rather selling out the same stocks in the local market [for the benefit of the local population],” he said, adding that flour mills in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) still enjoyed subsidised wheat at the cost of Punjab’s exchequer.
The former minister maintained that he had also asked the inquiry committee to also include this fact in its report.
In his reaction to the allegation, now Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said it was not his personal but a collective decision taken on the condition that prices won’t be allowed to be increased in the local market. He said the decision was first taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and then endorsed by the federal cabinet.
The Punjab government has decided to set up field hospitals at various parks across the province to treat patients who have been infected with COVID-19.
Asif Mehmood, the chairperson of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, said that these field hospitals will serve as quarantine centres when the burden on hospitals increases.
He said he has issued directions to administrations of different cities to follow these orders.
In Rawalpindi, Hilal-e-Ahmar has set up a 200-bed field hospital in a park.
“These hospital will be used for treating the coronavirus,” Hilal-e-Ahmar chairperson Abrarul Haq said, adding that the hospital has ICU beds and ventilators.
The United States of America has also done this when its cases were increased and almost 1,000 New Yorkers were killed by the virus.
Emergency field hospitals were readied in New York’s Central Park and at the home of the US Open tennis tournament when the US death toll from the coronavirus surpassed that of China.
Chief executive officer (CEO) of the Mayo Hospital and Corona Experts Advisory Group (CEAG) co-chairperson, Professor Dr Asad Aslam, has said that 18 patients of the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — were successfully treated with anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and antibiotic azithromycin during the past five days.
According to reports, Dr Aslam on Thursday said that eight patients at Mayo Hospital, four at Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) and five at other hospitals of the province were administered the drugs during the past five days.
“The patients were administered two tablets of hydroxychloroquine in the morning and two in the evening on the first day whereas, on the remaining four days, they were given one tablet in the morning and one in the evening. Simultaneously, they were given one tablet of azithromycin in the morning and one in the evening for five days.”
He, however, urged people to avoid self-medication and said these medicines should only be used upon a doctor’s prescription because they could have serious side-effects, including hepatotoxicity (drug-induced liver damage), bone marrow suppression and risk of sudden death, especially when used with azithromycin and many other medications that can affect heart rhythm.
Meanwhile, the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP) strongly advised against the inappropriate use and hoarding of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.
According to Dawn, they said there was a lack of undisputed scientific evidence and the risk of adverse events. “Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine should only be used as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for COVID-19, under the supervision of an expert,” read a press release.
It further said that the anti-malaria drugs were also used to treat immune system disorders.
“Both these drugs have a new and emerging role in treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia (off-label) and a presumed role in prevention against the infection.”
Experts associated with MMIDSP include infectious diseases physicians, clinical microbiologists and nurses who are trained in infection prevention and control.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar has said that the province is doing “groundbreaking research” as the global coronavirus pandemic continues to spread and he wants Pakistan to become the first country in the world to introduce vaccination for COVID-19.
Even the most effective containment strategies have only slowed the spread of the respiratory disease while some 35 companies and academic institutions around the world are racing to create a vaccine that can prevent people from getting sick as COVID-19 leaves around 940,000 people infected globally with at least 47,000 fatalities.
While the number of confirmed cases in Pakistan stands at 2,252 with at least 32 deaths and 107 recoveries, Buzdar’s Punjab is the worst-hit with 845 infections and Sindh is trailing behind at 709.
“Pakistan could become the first country to prepare a vaccine for coronavirus with Punjab taking the lead in this regard,” the provincial chief executive said during a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday. “I will assure them [experts] that I will exhaust all available resources for the research.”
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Earlier, the Punjab CM had directed experts to accelerate research activities for the eradication of coronavirus.
A meeting chaired by the provincial chief executive told that four study groups had been formed and research had been started under the supervision of the University of Health Sciences (UHS).
CM Buzdar directed the experts to make fruitful efforts to deal with coronavirus as soon as possible. He was informed that a BSL-3 Lab had started working at Jinnah Hospital and Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI).
The experts briefed the meeting that COVID-19 found in Pakistan was quite different from the coronavirus found in Wuhan and Iran.
Residents of Lahore’s Imamia Colony claim that the area has been sealed off by the police amid “a massive increase in the COVID-19 cases” as authorities told them to not leave their houses; however, both the government and police deny doing so.
Reports quoted locals as saying that amid an increasing number of coronavirus cases in Punjab, especially Lahore, the government had put the residential area in the provincial capital under lockdown. They claimed that a fatality was also reported in the locality and the health department was “downplaying the situation”.
The government, they said, had failed to screen people returning from Iran which led to the outbreak in the colony.
“The health department is hiding the actual number of the cases,” the residents claimed, urging higher-ups to take notice of the cases.
According to an audio clip viral on social media, a purported sub-inspector stationed at Shahdara Police Station could be heard telling someone to stay away from Imamia Colony due to a higher number of cases there. As per the clip, a patient also died of the virus and at least 80 per cent were infected in the colony.
Shahdara Police denied this and said they didn’t seal the area, whereas the health secretary and his spokesperson remained unavailable despite many calls.
Punjab government spokesperson Mussarat Jamsheed said it was all rumours. “All the areas are under observation and we are not hiding anything from the public,” the official said while asking people not to panic.
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.
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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.
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.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar has rubbished reports claiming that the individual who passed away at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital was suffering from the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — and marked the first fatality in Pakistan due to the global pandemic.
Earlier, it was reported that Pakistan’s first death due to coronavirus had been reported in Lahore. Reports that had come following a viral video that showed the deceased being brought out of the hospital in a coffin by staff in hazmat suits, had not drawn any official statements except Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid saying that results of the patient’s coronavirus test were still awaited.
A private media outlet had, however, quoted health officials as saying that the patient “did die due to coronavirus”.
“We have received test reports of Imran Ali, who lost his life in Mayo Hospital, and his cause of death was not #COVID19. So far Punjab has 8 confirmed cases and are being provided best available treatment [sic],” Buzdar tweeted later in the day.
We have received test reports of Imran Ali, who lost his life in Mayo Hospital, and his cause of death was not #COVID19
So far Punjab has 8 confirmed cases and are being provided best available treatment.
I urge everyone that these are testing times & we should act responsibly!
Chief Minister Buzdar has recently been tweeting about the pandemic and what Punjab is doing to control its spread. The largest province has eerily been silent on the issue, confirming only six cases compared to Sindh’s 155 cases and the CM has faced much criticism for keeping quiet on the issue. The government has yet to confirm whether a suspected coronavirus case has died this morning in Mayo hospital.
Admist the confusion, CM Buzdar was recently seen protecting himself from the virus by getting his temperature checked and also using hand sanitizer to promote safety.
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CM Buzdar getting his temperature checked and using hand sanitizer
Punjab has yet to reveal how they are controlling the spread of the pandemic or how they have managed to control it since only six cases have emerged in the province.
