ISLAMABAD - Since Pakistan has recorded 4892 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 78 deaths, the PTI government’s coalition partner from Balochistan [BNP-Mengal] believed that 95 percent cases of coronavirus in the country are due to the alleged mismanagement at Taftan border.
“Around 95 percent cases of coronavirus in the country are due to mismanagement at Taftan border as Pakistani pilgrims were allowed to cross the border into their homeland from Iran without testing coronavirus,” said BNP-Mengal chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, in an exclusive interview with The Nation.
These pilgrims have helped in spreading the virus in parts of the country as they left the quarantine centre without proper testing of the virus.
“Spread of virus could also be linked to the international flights land in different parts of the country, but the main reason of the virus spread is the mismanagement at the Taftan border,” he said.
About the plight of devotees housed near the hinterland of Quetta city [Mian Ghundi] to control the pandemic, he said that there were even no basic facilities for the people in ‘so-called quarantine centre’ established for them.
“I would rather term it a pathetic refugee centre having no basic necessities,” he said, mentioning that this mismanagement had surely multiplied the coronavirus cases.
Mengal had time and again informed the government in centre and the Balochistan Assembly about the situation but no proper attention was given to it. “Even in Balochistan Assembly concerned minister made mockery of the threat related to coronavirus,” he said and added the situation might have been different in the country, had proper attention been given to the requests of BNP-Mengal members.
BNP-Mengal MNA Agha Hansan Baloch was the first MNA in the assembly, who had pointed out the alleged mismanagement at Taftan border. He had cautioned that the weak management could be a source of spreading the virus but no attention was given on it, he said.
The BNP-Mengal chief said that there was a need to fix responsibility of this big negligence.
He resented the arrest of dozens of doctors who were protesting the non-availability of personal protective equipment. “If doctors will be arrested who would serve in hospitals. Can ministers perform duty of doctors to save people from infectious virus,” he questioned.
A couple of days before Balochistan Police had arrested over a dozen young doctors in Quetta while they were protesting against the unavailability of personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the provincial hospitals.
“Only the recorded cases of Balochistan are over 200,” he said, mentioning that the situation in interior Balochitan can be imagined where the people have no basic amenities.
About the formation of parliamentary committee on coronavirus, the BNP-chief was not much optimistic that it would prove much fruitful. “I think output of this committee will not be more than briefings on the situation,” he said.
He said even developed countries are unable to avoid spread of this infectious virus. There is a need for unity to win this war against the deadly virus.