ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday directed Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah to visit all districts of the province, emphasising that saving lives is the PPP’s priority.
The PPP leader passed the order in Islamabad where the Sindh chief minister briefed him about the situation in Larkana through a video link. Senior officials of the administration were present with the chief minister at the time of the briefing.
Apprising Bilawal of the measures for protecting people from COVID-19 in Larkana, Shah said that a new test laboratory in Larkana will be in operational from next week. “So far, a total of 663 people were tested in Larkana out of which 63 positive cases were confirmed,” he added.
He said that a total of 13,500 ration bags have been provided to the needy in Larkana whereas 3,313 families were provided with Rs6,000 from the district’s zakat fund.
He told Bilawal that the Sindh government had traced the people coming from abroad itself while quarantine centres have been established in Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto University (SMBBU) Arija campus, boys’ hostel, Madni Tableeghi Centre and Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC).
Bilawal said that providing relief to the needy is an appreciable task; however, the principle of social distancing should be followed and people in need should be dealt in a manner which does not compromise their self-respect.
The PPP chairman complained that no additional amount has been given to the provinces from the federal government, adding that it is obligatory for the federal government to provide funds for health immediately to protect the lives, property and health of the people.
He alleged that the coronavirus had spread more because of the government’s faulty strategy in distribution of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) relief.
“The economy can be revived but not the lives of the people, so the biggest challenge at the moment is to save lives,” he concluded.
