Karachi: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Saturday appealed to the government and opposition parties to join hands to counter the onslaught of coronavirus.
He said that in the wake of grim situation faced by the nation and country our parliament should summon joint sessions with a single agenda: How to fight coronavirus. He said without forging a broad-based political consensus our resource-less country cannot effectively deal with this emergency. He said the government still seems to take political mileage even from this tragedy, as forming a corona relief ‘tiger’ force is a political stunt as term of ‘tiger’ is politically used for workers of ruling party, PTI. He said at this crucial time we do not need some tiger, or lion or jiwala forces but simply just a ‘national’ force.
He said the USA is summoning its retired army men to tackle the emergency and we should follow suit. He said in fact this is time to raise a huge civil national volunteer force, by engaging all able-bodied unemployed Pakistanis to serve their communities and villages. He said two main challenges are glaring us directly in face: to revamp healthcare system and to keep supply chain running. He said that proposed national civil national volunteers should be given basic first-aid and healthcare training on crash course basis. He said all industries related to agriculture, agro-based products, medicines and food items must run round of clock after ensuring basis safety for their works. He said supply chain of meat, milk, vegetables and grains from farms to market to consumers must run swiftly. He welcomed the decision of the Prime Minister to let run the goods and cargo traffic.
Altaf Shakoor said all legislators at the national and provincial levels should sit together to devise ways and means to face this challenge. He said if necessary national governments should be formed at the Federal and provincial levels to ensure better political cohesion and stability. He said this is time of forgetting political scoring and working for the national cause. He said without a solid political unity and cohesion we cannot meet this huge challenge.
Altaf Shakoor demanded to use artificial intelligence techniques for controlling the situation. He asked to collect national data of all Pakistanis who need ration on the basis of their national identity cards, relying on data of their bank accounts, utility bills, travel record and employment record. He said Indian states like Kerala and Utter Pradesh have already announced to give every family monthly ration and a minimum daily allowance. He asked the federal and provincial governments to ensure that each and every needy family is supplied ration at their doorstep. He demanded that the PTCL and cell phone companies should announce free services by forming well-coordinated help-lines where the needy people can call and get them registered for monthly ration and other basic needs of life.