PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari fears that Pakistan runs the risk of “sleepwalking” into a Covid-19 catastrophe, due to the reluctance of federal authorities to act on the crisis. Speaking to AFP, the PPP leader mentioned a “false sense of security” from the very beginning of Pakistan's response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
In his view,
“If we just hope for the best and don't prepare for the worst [...] then Pakistan is sleepwalking into a disastrous situation and I genuinely fear for the consequences.”
According to the PPP leader, the country's response to Covid-19 has been held back by a lack of decisiveness on the federal level, as well as an unwillingness to give the necessary resources to the country's already struggling healthcare system.
He said:
“We have seen a desire to ignore science and facts and the examples of what has been happening around us internationally, which has hampered us taking the timely and necessary action.”
As Pakistan's total number of infections approaches 5,500, many have warned that the country may find it very difficult to cope with the kind of situation seen in China, Iran or a number of Western countries. The Sindh government, led by the PPP, has been critical of the federal government's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic from the very beginning. For its part, the PTI-led federal government has been fiercely critical of any commentary that suggests that the Sindh government has taken a more proactive role in the crisis. PTI leaders have described the Sindh government's criticism as “doing politics” over a crisis.
In his view,
“If we just hope for the best and don't prepare for the worst [...] then Pakistan is sleepwalking into a disastrous situation and I genuinely fear for the consequences.”
According to the PPP leader, the country's response to Covid-19 has been held back by a lack of decisiveness on the federal level, as well as an unwillingness to give the necessary resources to the country's already struggling healthcare system.
He said:
“We have seen a desire to ignore science and facts and the examples of what has been happening around us internationally, which has hampered us taking the timely and necessary action.”
As Pakistan's total number of infections approaches 5,500, many have warned that the country may find it very difficult to cope with the kind of situation seen in China, Iran or a number of Western countries. The Sindh government, led by the PPP, has been critical of the federal government's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic from the very beginning. For its part, the PTI-led federal government has been fiercely critical of any commentary that suggests that the Sindh government has taken a more proactive role in the crisis. PTI leaders have described the Sindh government's criticism as “doing politics” over a crisis.