Rehman Malik urges PM to call APC on coronavirus

Islamabad: Former Interior Minister and Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Rehman Malik on Saturday urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to call All Parties Conference at the earliest to unified a common strategy to counter coronavirus and its effects on the country.

While addressing a press conference, Senator A. Rehman Malik expressed grave concerns over the rapid increase in the number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Pakistan and said that he fears its further increase in upcoming days if preventive measures on war footing are not taken. He expressed great grief and rich tribute to those medical professionals who have died of Covid-19 and prayed for the speedy recovery of those who are tested positive and expressed sympathies with their families.

Senator Rehman Malik expressed that he was not agree with slogan “Cronona se Darna Nahe” i.e. Don’t afraid of Corona added that because of this slogan many people are taking this deadly disease unserious and even many are not wearing masks in public places. He said that the slogan should be “Hami Corona Se Khud ko aur Qom ko Mehfooz Rakhna Hi” we have to save ourselves and nation from coronavirus by following SOPs and all preventive measures. He appealed the nation to not take Coronavirus as unserious and light but follow the SOPS and all preventive measures strictly as by our unserious attitude, it will increase manifold going out of our control.

In his press Conference, Senator A. Rehman Malik said that witnessing the prevailing dreadful situation particularly after Eid holidays, it was necessary to write to PM Imran Khan to keep aside the ego and political differences and immediately call APC with a single point agenda to create consensus in formulating strategy for countering coronavirus in the country.

He writes that we are entering the more critical phase of this pandemic in Pakistan, where the implosion could affect the most sensitive organs and incapacitate our functioning.

“The need for a consensus and unified response has increased manifold. With the convergence of the pandemic threat, looming global recession, aggravating trade wars, shifting geostrategic political patterns, hasty pull out of foreign troops from Afghanistan, tensions in the Gulf, rearing head of terrorism in Pakistan, and the incessant belligerent Indian attitude, increasing atrocities in Kashmir, a clear exploitative tool of Hybrid Warfare is shaping up in hands of the enemies of Pakistan, ready to strike Pakistan. Not-too-distant drums of war are being beaten in the region that are harbinger of existential challenges for Pakistan” his letter reads.
Senator A. Rehman Malik in his letter has urged that to unify the nation and to develop synergy in unification of purpose in these trying times, an All Parties Conference (APC), with a single point agenda, “CONSENSUS IN FORMULATING STRATEGY FOR COUNTERING CORONAVIRUS” may be called without any further delay, wherein, a unified course of action is charted out to meet the rising challenges. Referring to his earlier correspondence, he said that he had already suggested several measures, through his letters to your good self (PM Imran Khan) on dated 20th March, 2020 and 27th April, 2020, and letter to Ministry of Interior, mapping a comprehensive National Action Program for Countering Coronavirus Pandemic.

Requesting to revisit the same.
In his letter to Prime Minister, Senator A. Rehman Malik has given important suggestions and writes that it has become extremely important that we, with least loss of time, also implement important SOPs. He suggested that face masks may be declared as necessary to wear and may be distributed to the citizen free of cost or at least face masks and hand sanitizers may be provided on subsidized rates in the rural areas. He also suggested that every doctor to be provided with personal protective equipment (PPEs). He has strongly recommended that a risk allowance given to the doctors and paramedical staff may be increased by 100%.

He expressed that rural areas are being ignored in the given time therefore it is necessary that the disparity between rural and urban areas for treatment and care for coronavirus patients should be immediately be removed. He advises that Health Division may be directed to bring “Anti-Corona Rural Program” that should include establishment of temporary (makeshift) hospitals and the positioning of doctors and paramedical staff therein, based on intelligent or smart addressing.

Senator A. Rehman Malik also suggested to immediately declare health emergency in the country and the Ministry of National Health Services may also bring the legislation to implement the SOPs for social distancing, business patterns and any other changes required, through enforcement of law. He suggests that the services of Civil Defence, Scouts and Volunteer students may also be used in coping the forthcoming situation of coronavirus patients. At the end of letter, Senator A. Rehman Malik says “I earnestly hope that in national interest, an APC would be called at the earliest, adding kinetics to unified strategy to counter coronavirus and its effects on the country.’

Senator A. Rehman Malik in his press conference appealed the non-practicing female doctors to come forward and register themselves to serve the people of their homeland in these difficult moments of Coronavirus outbreak. He said that as per his information a majority of the female doctors are not practicing because of their family responsibilities but it is time to volunteer themselves and serve the country by showing compassion to humanity. He said that More than 40,000 Pakistanis doctors are working abroad and he appealed them to come back and serve the country. He said that Pakistan is left with only 130,000 doctors, out of these more than 30,000 or more are working in administration or basic science faculty positions or are doing some other business or are retired so country is left with 100,000 or less practicing doctors. He said that to provide adequate cover to population of a 218 million we need 2 doctors per 1,000 persons at least that means Pakistan needs 436,000 practicing doctors, at present.

Senator A. Rehman Malik in his press conference strongly condemned the Indian continuous unprovoked aggression across Line of Control (LoC), targeting civilian population and surveillance of spy drones violating Pakistani airspace. He said that he applauds and salutes the Pakistan Army that the Indian blatant act was responded aggressively and spontaneously and two drones were shot down within three days. He said that India must remember that any Indian aggression will be retaliated in befitting manner like in past in the case of Wing Commander Abhinandan.

He said that with Prime Minister Narendra Modi peace in the region is never possible as he is following the ideology of RSS- Indian terrorist organization. He said that simultaneously, India under PM Modi has escalated tension at its borders with China, Nepal and Pakistan. He said that as the aggressive Indian policy towards its neighbors is endangering regional peace and security. He added that by escalating tension at borders with Pakistan and China, India is pushing the region into war to divert to the world’s attention from its state terrorism in occupied Kashmir and crimes against religious minorities in India. He urged the international community to take notice of Modi’s war mongering as he is pushing the world towards WW-III. He urged the government of Pakistan to take the international community into confidence about the Indian anti-Pakistan war plans, recent consistent violations across the LoC, and now the spying through drones. He said that the Pulwama incident had been engineered by RAW to divert world attention from the violation of human rights in Kashmir as the car was fired at by CPRF and the driver managed to escape. He added that then the car was kept under observation for 24 hours and finally like a Bollywood film was exploded. He said that differences between military and Ajit Doval deepening so Modi to divert attention is provoking neighbours.

Senator A. Rehman Malik warned the Afghan government and its intelligence agency NDS to stop playing in the hands of RAW by interfering and carrying out subversive activities in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan. He said that India’s Intelligence Agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is working in collaboration with the Afghanistan’s Intelligence Agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS), for creating instability and hostility in Balochistan and Fata by terrorist activities. He said Afghanistan must be careful of Modi’s nefarious aims of destroying the regional peace. He said Pakistan has always worked for peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan as peace in Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan and rest of the region.