Prime Minister Imran Khan, during the live telethon for coronavirus fundraising on Thursday, said that the Sindh government panicked over the coronavirus outbreak and locked down the entire province in a haste. "They needed to have ‘self belief’ which would have brought things under control", he said.
Naya Daur spoke to commentators who weighed in on the PM's statement suggesting that lockdown was an unnecessary step.
Journalist Gharida Farooqi says that while self-belief is a fine quality to possess, it is actually the technique or the science that makes one win - be it facing a known-by-name-and-face rival in a cricket ground or fighting an unknown faceless enemy, a global pandemic like coronavirus.
"But in some cases, self-belief can easily turn into over-confidence which can then lead to one's own defeat. So in the unprecedented time of a pandemic like coronavirus, clip and equip the self-belief with science and it would be beneficial to follow advice based on scientific and medical understanding and reiterated by top health agencies like WHO about lockdown or other preventive measures to tackle", she said.
Dr Abdul Nadir, an Assistant Professor at University of Arizona, says that one has to be realistic while dealing with a crisis as severe as the coronavirus pandemic. “Self belief is amazing, but the PM should accept other rational point of views as well”, he said.
He added that Covid-19 is a pandemic that has shaken the entire world and is on the verge of exploding in Pakistan, adding that lockdown and other preventive measures helped keep the spread of the virus in check. “Doctors throughout the country are appealing to the government to impose a more stringent lockdown and not give in to the whims and fancies of religious fanatics or other opportunists. This is no time to let go of all the hard work put in the last few weeks by the government”, he says.
He further said that the Covid-19 curve remained flat because of strict control measures enforced by the federal government as well as the provincial government particularly of Sindh which played a very important and positive role.
Naya Daur spoke to commentators who weighed in on the PM's statement suggesting that lockdown was an unnecessary step.
Journalist Gharida Farooqi says that while self-belief is a fine quality to possess, it is actually the technique or the science that makes one win - be it facing a known-by-name-and-face rival in a cricket ground or fighting an unknown faceless enemy, a global pandemic like coronavirus.
"But in some cases, self-belief can easily turn into over-confidence which can then lead to one's own defeat. So in the unprecedented time of a pandemic like coronavirus, clip and equip the self-belief with science and it would be beneficial to follow advice based on scientific and medical understanding and reiterated by top health agencies like WHO about lockdown or other preventive measures to tackle", she said.
Dr Abdul Nadir, an Assistant Professor at University of Arizona, says that one has to be realistic while dealing with a crisis as severe as the coronavirus pandemic. “Self belief is amazing, but the PM should accept other rational point of views as well”, he said.
He added that Covid-19 is a pandemic that has shaken the entire world and is on the verge of exploding in Pakistan, adding that lockdown and other preventive measures helped keep the spread of the virus in check. “Doctors throughout the country are appealing to the government to impose a more stringent lockdown and not give in to the whims and fancies of religious fanatics or other opportunists. This is no time to let go of all the hard work put in the last few weeks by the government”, he says.
He further said that the Covid-19 curve remained flat because of strict control measures enforced by the federal government as well as the provincial government particularly of Sindh which played a very important and positive role.