ISLAMABAD-A petition seeking appropriate measures from government including constitution of medical board and detention of passengers coming from China, was filed on Monday before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to stop the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan.
Petitioner Tariq Asad Advocate moved the petition through his counsel Abdullah Tahir Advocate and cited Federation of Pakistan through Federal Secretary Ministry of Interior, Prime Minister through Principal Secretary and Federal Secretary of Health as respondents.
In this petitioner, Asad prayed to the court to constitute a high-level medical board comprising of specialists in the field who are independent from political pressure to look into the matter and take necessary measures.
He also requested the court to issue directions for detaining any passenger landing at any airport in Pakistan from China directly or indirectly and keeping them in quarantine for a reasonable time until they are proven to be virus-free.
The petitioner further prayed to the court to evacuate the Pakistani students or others from China only until they are proven to be virus-free and restrain the Pakistanis living in China studying or doing any job not to leave China till further decision to be taken by the respondents. He stated that this petition is motivated by the conviction that the coronavirus is spreading all over the world, but the respondents have not taken any considerable measures to remove the apprehensions and spread of the said disease.
He added that as a new coronavirus has spread in China and around the world; scientists are scrambling to find out exactly where it came from. Now, a new study provides more clues to the virus’ origins and points to bats as the most likely hosts.
Asad continued that undoubtedly coronavirus is highly epidemic and may be transferred to anybody even through breathing around. The petitioner said that the study reveals that coronavirus is a very highly epidemic ailment which spreads through the air by viral particles in droplets from a cough or sneeze. “Health workers and family members are also vulnerable to infection from close personal contact while they are caring for patients with inadequate barrier protection (gloves, gown and surgical mask). Hence it is worthwhile to be careful to come across the viral patient,” said the petition.
It added, “But in case any person from the epidemic region enters into Pakistan, it would be apprehended to mark out whether he has been infected by coronavirus or not because for the medical consultants in Pakistan are not yet aware of the ailment to that particular virus unless it reaches at a fatal and incurable stage.”
The petitioner adopted that thus it is the constitutional obligation of the federal government and the respondents to take this matter very seriously and constitute a medical Board in this regard to research and take special measures in this regard.
He added that the lives of all the citizens are in danger and thus in violation of their fundamental right guaranteed to them under Article 9 of the Constitution to take this issue casually and keep them under threat and the federal government must take up this matter on priority basis and constitute a medical board to study the research articles and proceed in a technical manner to remove apprehensions and save the lives of the citizens of Pakistan.