IF there were ever a time for politics to take a back seat for the greater public good, it is now. The Covid-19 situation in Pakistan is getting more worrisome by the day, yet huge gatherings — particularly those staged by the opposition PDM — continue in full force. The stark, terrifying picture of the pandemic and its effects on the country should not be lost on anyone; according to the NCOC’s figures yesterday, Punjab had the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the previous 24 hours, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Multan, which was the venue of one mammoth public gathering just weeks ago, had the highest number of patients on ventilators. Some 450 people lost their lives to Covid-19 over the past week — a grim statistic that should send chills down the spines of our collective political leadership. Astonishingly, even the increasing number of hospitalisations, distressing social media debate and the overall gloom engendered by Covid-19 have failed to register as a national crisis for our leaders.
The PDM must rethink its public rallies, starting with the upcoming show in Lahore on Sunday. If the attendance at the alliance’s recent rallies is anything to go by, the Dec 13 gathering, too, will see a large crowd. That the opposition parties are calling on people to cram themselves into a public space during such a precarious time is supremely irresponsible. Beckoning thousands of frustrated citizens — who are already crushed by unemployment, rising inflation, and power and gas cuts — to protest as the threat of Covid-19 literally hangs heavy in the air is endangering lives. This behaviour is reckless and begs contemplation. Surely, the opposition can postpone these rallies till such time that Covid-19 cases fall across the country, and especially in the areas where these large public gatherings are being staged. If it fails to do so, the collective opposition will be guilty of doing a colossal disservice to the public as well as hurting the morale of healthcare workers.
As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, and here the ruling PTI is also to blame. Its vicious harassment of the opposition has pushed the latter against the wall — possibly to a point of no return. Bringing the two warring sides to the table for any productive discussion has become impossible. Unlike under previous dispensations, where rival parties were often prepared to set aside their differences over key national issues, this government is unable to move beyond its corruption rhetoric. As a result, the opposition parties have taken the extreme decision to protest even though there is a clear threat to lives. The prime minister repeatedly mocks the opposition and says he is interested in engaging them in dialogue but will begin by talking about their alleged corruption. Nearly halfway through the PTI’s term, this mantra must give way to a more sensible approach.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1595281/increasing-danger
Increasing danger: edit in Dawn, December 12th, 2020
IF there were ever a time for politics to take a back seat for the greater public good, it is now. The Covid-19 situation in Pakistan is getting more worrisome by the day, yet huge gatherings — particularly those staged by the opposition PDM — continue in full force. The stark, terrifying picture of the pandemic and its effects on the country should not be lost on anyone; according to the NCOC’s figures yesterday, Punjab had the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the previous 24 hours, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Multan, which was the venue of one mammoth public gathering just weeks ago, had the highest number of patients on ventilators. Some 450 people lost their lives to Covid-19 over the past week — a grim statistic that should send chills down the spines of our collective political leadership. Astonishingly, even the increasing number of hospitalisations, distressing social media debate and the overall gloom engendered by Covid-19 have failed to register as a national crisis for our leaders.
The PDM must rethink its public rallies, starting with the upcoming show in Lahore on Sunday. If the attendance at the alliance’s recent rallies is anything to go by, the Dec 13 gathering, too, will see a large crowd. That the opposition parties are calling on people to cram themselves into a public space during such a precarious time is supremely irresponsible. Beckoning thousands of frustrated citizens — who are already crushed by unemployment, rising inflation, and power and gas cuts — to protest as the threat of Covid-19 literally hangs heavy in the air is endangering lives. This behaviour is reckless and begs contemplation. Surely, the opposition can postpone these rallies till such time that Covid-19 cases fall across the country, and especially in the areas where these large public gatherings are being staged. If it fails to do so, the collective opposition will be guilty of doing a colossal disservice to the public as well as hurting the morale of healthcare workers.
As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, and here the ruling PTI is also to blame. Its vicious harassment of the opposition has pushed the latter against the wall — possibly to a point of no return. Bringing the two warring sides to the table for any productive discussion has become impossible. Unlike under previous dispensations, where rival parties were often prepared to set aside their differences over key national issues, this government is unable to move beyond its corruption rhetoric. As a result, the opposition parties have taken the extreme decision to protest even though there is a clear threat to lives. The prime minister repeatedly mocks the opposition and says he is interested in engaging them in dialogue but will begin by talking about their alleged corruption. Nearly halfway through the PTI’s term, this mantra must give way to a more sensible approach.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1595281/increasing-danger
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan