ISLAMABAD, Jun 06 (APP):Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed said on
Saturday that the Pakistan People’s Party government lockdown in
Sindh proved a failure as it had no plan and strategy to provide
ration and cash assistance to the vulnerable segments of the society
for saving them from starvation.
Addressing a media conference along with Minister for Information and
Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, he said that the people in Karachi and
many other cities of Sindh came out and protesting, as the they were
facing death due to hunger and starvation.
Answering the PPP’s leaderships’ criticism of federal government, he
reminded that after 18th amendment health was provincial subject but
still federal government was trying its best to facilitate provinces
in dealing with the pandemic.
Murad Saeed said that coronavirus was a pandemic which had affected
the whole world including developed countries and Pakistani government
was fighting with it with limited resources. He said the measures of
the federal government in containing the pandemic and providing relief
to the corona affected people have been appreciated by the
international community. PTI government made all decisions keeping in
view the corona-affected people’s miseries and provided a support
package for industrial sector and the people who have lost their jobs,
he said.
Murad Saeed said it was a matter of great satisfaction that the
country has domestically started production of sanitizers and masks
and now was in a position to export Personal Protective Equipments
including masks and sanitizers. He regretted that the health sector
was neglected in the past but the present government has now enhanced
its capacity in a short span of time.
He said more than twenty thousand doctors have been trained in a short
period of time to deal with the pandemic effectively. He said the
country’s testing capacity per day has gradually been enhanced from
one hundred per day to thirty thousand. The Minister said strict
actions are being taken for the implementation of Standard Operating
Procedure to deal with the coronavirus and 1311 markets have been
sealed so far for violation of the SOPs.He said smart lockdown has
been imposed on 848 points across the country.
Criticizing the PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he said that
he read a written speech before the media, but in 40 minute press
conference he could not point out one step taken by the Sindh
government for helping the poor. He said in Sindh, people were dying
with hunger due to lack of good governance in the province.
He said that after the 18th amendment, 62 percent of the national
resources were given to provinces and Sindh was given trillions of
rupees for improvement of health sector but the money was plundered.
He said that federal government provided cash assistance to poor
people of Sindh through Ehsaas Cash Emergency Programme but Sindh
could not provide proof and giving any ration or cash assistance in
the province.
He alleged that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was a facilitator
of Asif Zardari in his activities of loot and plunder of economic
resources of the province.
He said that there was difference between the PPP, PML-N regimes and
the PTI government as the world was appreciating Pakistan for its
handling of coronavirus and World Bank report was its proof.
He said that the previous governments of the PPP and PML-N could not
build even a single hospital from where they could get medical
treatment.
Murad Saeed said that after 50 years, twice Kashmir issue was
discussed at the United Nations Security Council as it had become an
international issue again thanks to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s
efforts and advocacy. He said that Imran Khan not only advocated the
cause of Kashmir but highlighted all issues of Islamic Ummah. He said
that Kashmir as national cause for every Pakistani and nobody would be
allowed to do petty politics on the issue.
He said that Imran Khan had built ‘Langar Khanas’ and Shelter Homes
for the poor people and no government in the past made
any policies.
He said that in KPK over 60 percent population was provided health
cover through Sehat Insaf Card and after next budget, this figure
would reach hundred percent of the population of the province. While
on the contrary, in Sindh people were dying due to non-availability of
vaccine for dog bites.
