Those who had meeting with PM Imran Khan should have been careful: Dr Firdous Awan
"We value the life of Prime Minister Imran Khan; all SOPs were followed during the meeting," she said
March 26, 2021
- We hold Prime Minister Imran Khan's life dear, says Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan.
- A day earlier, PM Imran Khan had chaired an in-person meeting with his media team.
- Less than a week earlier, he had tested positive for coronavirus.
LAHORE: The Punjab government, on Friday, reacted to the criticism levelled at the government following Prime Minister Imran Khan's meeting a day ago with his media team despite being coronavirus positive.
"We value the life of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Participants of yesterday's meeting with the prime minister should have been careful," said Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister on Information, Dr Firdous Awan said.
A day earlier, the prime minister had been criticised on social media after information minister Shibli Faraz tweeted a picture in which PM Imran Khan could be seen chairing an in-person meeting with his media team.
Twitter was furious as the prime minister had only tested positive for coronavirus less than a week from the day the meeting was held. Many said the optics were bad for a country where a lot of people already questioned the existence of the coronavirus.
Dr Awan spoke about the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as well, saying that former president Asif Ali Zardari had duped JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman by nominating Yousaf Raza Gillani as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
Taking an aim at PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, the chief minister's aide challenged her to issue a statement against Nasir Lotha, who has turned approver against her in a money-laundering investigation against the Sharif family.
"Maryam Nawaz, who has derived benefits from the Prime Minister's Office thrice, is answerable," she said.
When asked to comment on the Supreme Court's verdict from a day earlier in which it called on the Punjab government to restore the local government, Dr Awan said "the local government system is the nursery of democracy".
"The Punjab government is formulating a strategy regarding the local government system and will also seek its legal team's input," she said.
PM Imran Khan followed all coronavirus SOPS in meeting with media team: official
After the backlash on social media, the federal government responded by saying the prime minister strictly observed coronavirus SOPs during the meeting.
While talking to Geo News, Dr Nausheen Hamid, parliamentary secretary, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, had insisted the meeting was held keeping all safety protocols in place.
“PM Imran Khan was sitting at a distance of least 25-30 feet; all the participants were wearing face masks; all the windows were open and the room was a very big one,” she had said.
"We all know what the coronavirus SOPs are, which include social distancing, wearing a face mask, and having a well-ventilated room. All these guidelines are being followed in official meetings," Nausheen Hamid had said.
When asked to comment on the impact of the picture on public perceptions of the dangers of the disease, especially at a time when disinformation is a major issue, she had stated: “I think that the responsibilities of a prime minister are much more than a common person and sometimes there are issues that need to be addressed on an urgent basis”.
“The meeting was held with all the SOPs in place,” she had insisted, adding that the situation was admittedly "not ideal" but "some things have to be done."
