The writer is a freelance columnist.
Pakistan is currently faced with a national crisis of an unprecedented magnitude due to the onset of the pandemic particularly the second wave which seems more threatening from its first stint regarding claiming human lives and its debilitating impact on the economy. While the government is doing its utmost to deal with the emerging situation and mitigating the impact of the contagion, the alliance of the opposition parties under the banner of PDM is going ahead with its anti-government movement and holding public rallies, being unmindful of the likely repercussions with respect to the spread of the virus and the threat to lives of the people. It undoubtedly is scuttling government efforts to contain the virus.
In the backdrop of the foregoing facts and the permeating situation in the country, the invitation by the Prime Minister to the opposition to join hands for reforms in the senate elections and the decision to introduce electoral voting in the country, are like a whiff of fresh air to remove the stench from our electoral system. It is indeed a first step in the right direction which can lead to expanding the canvas with the engagement of the political parties and overhauling the system to the entire satisfaction of all the stakeholders. If the opposition is really honest in removing the loopholes in the electoral system and consolidating democracy in the country, it must prove its credentials in this regard by accepting the offer of the government.
Reforms and settlement of political disputes cannot be carried out in the streets. It is a serious business requiring intellectual and political acumen producing positive results through parleys at the table. The opposition—wrong or right—has already made its point. The government seems sincere in engaging them in a meaningful dialogue. The issue is of greater national interest and aims to address the perennial ailment of our political system. Therefore the opposition parties need to rise above their narrow political agendas and give preference to the national cause.
Now coming to the second wave of pandemic, it is universally believed that the best way to contain the virus in the absence of the vaccine is to act upon the preventive measures and the relevant SOPs which among other things entail wearing of masks and social distancing. The violation of these SOPs is considered to be the main cause of human to human transmission of the virus. In this regard, crowded places, restaurants and public gatherings are the breeding dens for the virus. The government being responsible for saving lives of the people and under obligation to take all possible measures in this regard, has rightly banned public rallies as a result of the deliberations of NCOC and the NCC. The steps being taken by it are dictated by the ground realities and the highest consideration of protecting people’s lives.
Regrettably, the PDM parties do not seem convinced by the argument presented for banning the public rallies and see the move as a political ploy by the government to thwart their movement using the pandemic as an excuse. The obsession with their orchestrated agenda has obscured their vision as well as suppressed their humanitarian faculties. Their denial about the severity of the situation and insensitivity to the loss of human lives is simply mind-boggling.
It is an undeniable fact that there has been an exponential increase in the deaths and number of people being affected by the virus during the last few weeks and the trend is indeed very alarming. The return of the virus is undoubtedly, to a major extent, attributable to non-observance of the SOPs by the people and socialisation with observing social distancing. The Prime Minister has rightly appealed to the entire nation to realise their responsibility and cooperate with the government in coping with this dangerous situation. Wearing of masks has been made obligatory along with other measures including banning the public rallies. It is not a decision in isolation. It is part of the whole package designed to contain the virus. The opposition parties need to look at it in its proper context.
Though they are not in the government, it is still their national obligation to give priority to saving the lives of the people. The virus cannot be contained through slogans and merely showing indifference to its impact. The stance of the opposition in this regard is unpalatable. It must get its priorities right. The opposition parties can find other ways to communicate their agenda to the people instead of public rallies, like virtual avenues as also suggested by the federal minister for science and technology. Due consideration also needs to be given to the fact that Islamabad High Court has also endorsed banning of the public rallies. The opposition parties are better advised to show solidarity with the government in tackling COVID 19 which surely is not a political manifesto of the ruling party. That is the way forward in the given situation.
https://nation.com.pk/27-Nov-2020/the-way-forward
The way forward: by Malik Muhammad Ashraf in The Nation, Nov 27, 2020
The writer is a freelance columnist.
Pakistan is currently faced with a national crisis of an unprecedented magnitude due to the onset of the pandemic particularly the second wave which seems more threatening from its first stint regarding claiming human lives and its debilitating impact on the economy. While the government is doing its utmost to deal with the emerging situation and mitigating the impact of the contagion, the alliance of the opposition parties under the banner of PDM is going ahead with its anti-government movement and holding public rallies, being unmindful of the likely repercussions with respect to the spread of the virus and the threat to lives of the people. It undoubtedly is scuttling government efforts to contain the virus.
In the backdrop of the foregoing facts and the permeating situation in the country, the invitation by the Prime Minister to the opposition to join hands for reforms in the senate elections and the decision to introduce electoral voting in the country, are like a whiff of fresh air to remove the stench from our electoral system. It is indeed a first step in the right direction which can lead to expanding the canvas with the engagement of the political parties and overhauling the system to the entire satisfaction of all the stakeholders. If the opposition is really honest in removing the loopholes in the electoral system and consolidating democracy in the country, it must prove its credentials in this regard by accepting the offer of the government.
Reforms and settlement of political disputes cannot be carried out in the streets. It is a serious business requiring intellectual and political acumen producing positive results through parleys at the table. The opposition—wrong or right—has already made its point. The government seems sincere in engaging them in a meaningful dialogue. The issue is of greater national interest and aims to address the perennial ailment of our political system. Therefore the opposition parties need to rise above their narrow political agendas and give preference to the national cause.
Now coming to the second wave of pandemic, it is universally believed that the best way to contain the virus in the absence of the vaccine is to act upon the preventive measures and the relevant SOPs which among other things entail wearing of masks and social distancing. The violation of these SOPs is considered to be the main cause of human to human transmission of the virus. In this regard, crowded places, restaurants and public gatherings are the breeding dens for the virus. The government being responsible for saving lives of the people and under obligation to take all possible measures in this regard, has rightly banned public rallies as a result of the deliberations of NCOC and the NCC. The steps being taken by it are dictated by the ground realities and the highest consideration of protecting people’s lives.
Regrettably, the PDM parties do not seem convinced by the argument presented for banning the public rallies and see the move as a political ploy by the government to thwart their movement using the pandemic as an excuse. The obsession with their orchestrated agenda has obscured their vision as well as suppressed their humanitarian faculties. Their denial about the severity of the situation and insensitivity to the loss of human lives is simply mind-boggling.
It is an undeniable fact that there has been an exponential increase in the deaths and number of people being affected by the virus during the last few weeks and the trend is indeed very alarming. The return of the virus is undoubtedly, to a major extent, attributable to non-observance of the SOPs by the people and socialisation with observing social distancing. The Prime Minister has rightly appealed to the entire nation to realise their responsibility and cooperate with the government in coping with this dangerous situation. Wearing of masks has been made obligatory along with other measures including banning the public rallies. It is not a decision in isolation. It is part of the whole package designed to contain the virus. The opposition parties need to look at it in its proper context.
Though they are not in the government, it is still their national obligation to give priority to saving the lives of the people. The virus cannot be contained through slogans and merely showing indifference to its impact. The stance of the opposition in this regard is unpalatable. It must get its priorities right. The opposition parties can find other ways to communicate their agenda to the people instead of public rallies, like virtual avenues as also suggested by the federal minister for science and technology. Due consideration also needs to be given to the fact that Islamabad High Court has also endorsed banning of the public rallies. The opposition parties are better advised to show solidarity with the government in tackling COVID 19 which surely is not a political manifesto of the ruling party. That is the way forward in the given situation.
https://nation.com.pk/27-Nov-2020/the-way-forward
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan