COVID-19: Twitter slams Yasmin Rashid for calling Lahoris 'ignorant'

Pakistanis on Twitter reacted angrily to Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid's remarks on Monday night when she referred to the people of Lahore as being 'ignorant' about the dangers of COVID-19.  

Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, the provincial minister said: "Sometimes I think Lahoris [feel they] are a special creation of God who are never ready to listen." She was criticising Pakistanis for not practicing social distancing and taking the infection lightly. 

"I don't think there is any nation as ignorant as us. No matter how many times you tell them to take precautionary measures, they never follow instructions," Rashid remarked, adding that people had thrown caution to the wind during the Eid days. 

Also read: 'Smart lockdown’ imposed in major cities of Pakistan as COVID-19 cases surge past 148,000

Vexed by her comments, people took to Twitter to criticise Rashid for laying the blame on the public and not taking responsibility for the government's decisions. 

Some wondered whether the masses were at fault for not taking the infection seriously when the prime minister himself downplayed the dangers of the virus by saying that it was a 'mild flu' in his earlier address to the nation.

On the contrary, a few supported the health minister's stance, saying that it is not solely the government's responsibility to stem the spread of the virus, and people are equally to blame for it.

"Sorry guys but #Lahore deserve this, especially the middle and upper middle class no matter whether they are liberals and progressive [according to their sermons]," wrote one of the users on the micro-blogging site.

COVID-19 cases continue to spike as public, shopkeepers ignore safety guidelines, SOPs

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country as people refrained from practicing social distancing at markets and public places during the last days of Ramazan for Eid shopping. 

Small markets and shops were found violating the coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) last month when business activities resumed in Karachi after an almost two-month-long hiatus due to a lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the virus, The News had reported.

According to the report, shopkeepers were not wearing masks at several small markets across the city and social distancing protocols were not being followed in most of the places that reopened almost two months later. Markets, however, remained busy throughout the day.

Traders had been allowed to resume business activities by the Sindh government after an agreement was reached by the representative organisations of the traders with the provincial authorities.

Shopkeepers, customers not following SOPs: Atiq Mir

Speaking to Geo News anchor Shahzeb Khanzada earlier, All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairperson Atiq Mir had admitted that the shopkeepers and customers did not follow the instructions given.

“You are right in saying that the government’s SOPs were not implemented today,” Mir had responded when asked to comment on the situation witnessed in the markets.

“We were aware of the situation seen today. You know, shops were opened after a long time and people thronged to markets because of the shortage of time in Eid-ul-Fitr.

“Although we had committed to the government, it was impossible to ensure implementation of safety measures due to massive rush in the markets,” he had said.

The traders’ leader said he had told the provincial authorities to seal shops that are not following guidelines.