PPP takes Centre to task second day in a row over 'delayed' response to coronavirus

KARACHI: The PPP leadership on Saturday took the PTI-led government to task over its "non-seriousness" and the resultant "delayed" response to  the prevailing coronavirus crisis in the country.

It marked the second day in a row the party criticised the federal government over its handling of the crisis. Yesterday, party chairman Bilawal Bhutto lamented the non-provision of protective gear to medical workers and censured the government for "sabotaging" efforts for national unity.

Pakistan has recorded over 18,500 infections with most of them, 7,102, in Sindh. 432 people have so far succumbed to COVID-19 across the country.

Information Minister Sindh Nasir Hussain Shah while addressing a press conference today said: " Chairman PPP [Bilawal Bhutto] has spoken the truth [...] He did not talk only about the situation in Sindh, rather, the conditions across Pakistan."

He said that the federal leadership deviates from questions asked about its performance.

"It is our right to ask for support and help from the government and during these situations they recall the 18th Amendment," he said, adding: "We reiterate these sort of things so that the federal government may take this situation more seriously."

"When the first cases were identified — one each in Karachi and Islamabad — Sindh government on the instructions received from its chairman, started work immediately. The chief minister called meetings and set up a task force which comprised of medical experts and related departmental heads."

"Meanwhile, the federal government's seriousness was such that the first case was identified on February 26 and the prime minister called a meeting on March 13. Before that, the premier had only tweeted about the situation with no practical steps taken."

Shah said that the Sindh chief minister on the instructions of the PPP chairman and medical experts imposed a lockdown, after which Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad followed. “Did the PTI leadership in these provinces not ask the premier [before imposing a lockdown]? Train and air services were suspended and he was unaware of that."

"If you review Prime Minister Imran Khan's press conferences on April 30, you will see that he first blamed the elites for the lockdown and after four hours, during another presser, he talked about the benefits of the lockdown. This is their double standard," he said.

"I thank the media for showcasing and praising the steps taken by the provincial government. On the other hand, the premier did not utter a single word of appreciation for Sindh government," Shah said.

"Everyone followed in the footsteps of Sindh government. The extended lockdown was the decision of the federal government," he said.

While saying that Sindh had received 16,000 N-95 masks, and over 90,000 PPEs among other protective gear, Hussain said that the Centre had not given the province a single ventilator.

"Nearly 90 % of the testing kits that we have were imported by the province with its resources; the Centre did give us a few and among them were those which did not give accurate results," he said.

"The testing kits that we gave back were rejected by medical experts not reviewed by Dr Syed Murad Ali Shah, surgeon Saeed Ghani, paramedic Nasir Hussain and Murtaza Wahab," quipped the information minister.

'Federal govt responsible for spread'

Shah said that Sindh was witnessing a higher number of cases "because we are following the guidelines of the World Health Organisation, for which we have been appreciated as well".

“The situation is very alarming right now, as the virus is spreading among children, the elderly, and women and this is because we are not taking precautionary measures,” Shah noted, advising the people to show responsibility and take safety measures.

He criticised the government for linking Sindh’s precautionary measures to the 18th amendment, National Accountability Bureau cases, and National Finance Commission Award. He said that "anyone who has sense" will appreciate the efforts and steps taken by Sindh.

Shah said that the federal ministers persuade Sindh’s businessmen to resume their business activities, whereas when traders open shops in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — where the PTI is in power — "they are fired upon".

"They have asked that tailor shops be reopened while the cloth market is closed; what will the tailor stitch?" he questioned. “We care about our businessmen, but trade will resume after we have finalised SOPs because a proper lockdown could not be imposed due to the federal government’s incompetence.”

“We have to live with coronavirus for a long time,” he warned.

The minister said that the Centre has "insulted doctors" by saying that they had colluded with the provincial government regarding the lockdown’s extension. “If you do not understand what we say then please listen to the medical experts.”

“The federal government is responsible for the spread of the virus,” he said.

Shah, reiterating Bilawal's concerns from a day earlier, said that no one except for those who were already registered with the Benazir Income  Support Programme (BISP) had received funds from the federal government.

“They have made distribution centres another hotspot for the spread of the virus.”

The minister said that the Ehsaas Kifalat Programme had become a reason for the spread of the virus as thumb impressions — which were not being used after the COVID-19 situation worsened in the country — were being taken of the aid recipients.

Shah also questioned the wisdom behind calling the people to distribution centres when they set have up the Tiger Force to aid the government's outreach.

'Failed to build consensus'

Sindh Education Minster Saeed Ghani, taking over the press conference, said that the Centre had so far "failed to build national unity and form a consensus" whenever there was an issue of severe importance.

“Today, when the opposition is attempting to form a national consensus they [Centre] start talking about the 18th Amendment,” he said, adding: “If you wanted to spread such malice you could have done so after we dealt with coronavirus.”

Ghani, lambasting the federal government, said: “Who are they even to talk about the 18th Amendment?”

The federal government should take responsibility and realise that people's lives are at danger and that politicking is not the solution to the problem, he said.

Referring to the Centre's repeated mention of the 18th Amendment, he said: “[Shahbaz] Gill, Ali Zaidi, Faisal Vawda, and Imran Khan will lecture us on the 18th Amendment and Constitution? They should be ashamed of themselves.”

Ghani, in a tongue-in-cheek remark said that lecturing the PPP on the legislation was equivalent to telling him that his name is Saeed Ghani and telling the information minister that his name is Nasir Shah. He said the aforementioned individuals — who are so interested in lecturing people about the 18th Amendment — are "people who have no knowledge whatsoever of the Constitution”.

The education minister went on to say: “I can challenge the prime minister — he likely does not know how many articles there are in the Constitution."

The education minister claimed that the federal government "receive messages on WhatsApp on what to talk about next and this time they were instructed to talk about the 18th Amendment".

Ghani said that the premier was of the opinion that a lockdown should not be imposed while Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar imposed a lockdown the following day. “If a person such as Buzdar can defy Imran Khan then what more is left to say?” he remarked, in a veiled reference to the Punjab chief minister's perceptibly mild mannered disposition.

He advised the federal government to "no longer play the blame game at least if it cannot support or praise Sindh".