ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday contacted several parties’ leaders in connection with a proposed All Parties Conference on the coronavirus issue.
Bilawal telephoned the leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (Fazal), The Muttahida Qazmi Movement Pakistan, The PML (Quaid-e-Azam), The Balochistan National Party (and the Awani National Party.
“Bilawal Bhutto Zardari talked over phone with Shahbaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pervez Elahi, Akhtar Mengal, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Amal Wali Khan in this regard,” said a PPP statement.
The PPP chief said that all political parties should come to the same page regarding mechanisms and measures to deal with and contain coronavirus in Pakistan.
“Political leaders have agreed with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to convene the APC over video link regarding coronavirus,” said the PPP statement.
Earlier, Bilawal had demanded of the federal government to review its decision not to impose a lock-down all over Pakistan amid epidemic outbreak of coronavirus.
PPP leader also said that a delay would increase the difficulties for the poor people of the country.
Bilawal said only unity would help defeat the coronavirus and that it was important for people to stay home as the virus was spreading.
Bilawal said the federal government to review its policy not to impose a lockdown across the country, saying “we all have to face this difficulty for 14 days.”
Yesterday, Pakistan recorded 875 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and deaths of six patients. Six persons have recovered so far.
In nationwide measures to contain the possible outbreak, the government had ordered shutdown of all educational institutes till April 5. Marriage halls and cinemas will also remain closed for the next two weeks.
Pakistan is also keeping border with Iran and Afghanistan closed in a bid to control the spread of the coronavirus. Sindh and Punjab provincial governments have imposed a lockdown.