Where are we heading to?

Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

On 1^st JuneCorona has succeeded in victimizing ouras many as 71,068 people while 1,520 have died as well so far on the same account of but what surprises me the most is that exactly just one month before on 1^st May our 17,699 persons were the victims throughout the country and 408 had died till that date which quite categorically proves that during May alone as many as 53,369 have been affected by the virus while 1,112 people died during the same period which as such must shake us to be honest.

My goodness! Isn’t it awfully shocking and extremely choking to notice that from 1^st to today 3^rd night as many as 11,615 people have been added to the list of victimization while additional 207 have also died during the said three days.

Above figures are quite alarming to be honest particularly when most of the country was locked down and it was expected that we could control the situation to some extent but very much regretfully we did fail in our efforts to great extent otherwise we had not noticed such phenomenal increase in victimization. Admittedly we were not that much prepared and equipped on 1^st May and therefore for argument sake we can swallow the bitter pill to have been attacked alike but why and how so much increase is being noticed as of today must puzzle my authorities and they must dig out the truth as to where they failed. During May alone time and again my nation has listened to what PM have said about corona and the logistics being applied to combat the onslaught of the virus. We are also told that not only Advisor on health but even the multiple commissions and committees dealing exclusively with corona had many meetings and discussions almost on daily basis at national, provincial and local levels.

I wish I am wrong which perhaps I am not that during the current month of June percentage wise more victims  are to be noticed than what we had in May simply because now we have eased up the restrictions of lock down to some extent than what had been the case during the previous month. Needless to mention that during lock down we simply failed to strictly enforce lock down in true letter and spirit and very unfortunately not the whole population but just a few people had adhered to the precautionary measures to be practiced and here I will blame authorities more than the people.

When it is noticed that someone is not using facial mask then he / should be arrested forthwith but I very seriously doubt that hardly someone is even warned for not using facial mask what to talk of arresting the person. I know that the government had imposed some monetary fine to be paid by the defaulters but truthfully speaking fine imposition is not the answer simply because many of my sweet compatriots will definitely pay the fine and continue flouting the rule and therefore arrest is the only answer. 

I am really very sorry to say that in my beloved Pakistan social distancing which is globally reckoned principle to avoid spreading the notorious corona virus is only on paper and hardly very few people who can be counted on our finger tips have stuck to the principle and maintained 6 feet distance between the two persons which must be condemned in any case. Here also people must be arrested for not keeping the distance but when none is arrested then you know what can be the result.

PM Imran chairs cabinet meetings where our all most respected ministers are sitting too close to each other without caring the least of social distancing as social distancing is not applicable on the country and all the ministers continue sitting too close to each other what had been the practice before the arrival of our uninvited guest corona. Didn’t we see our two three ministers sitting next to each other addressing a press conference and the press conference is aired on television and photos flashed in newspapers so when our top  officials  who are supposed to be models for the whole population of the country themselves behave like this how and why we can even think of expect our commoners to stick to the rule?

It is very high and ripe time for the nation as a whole, not just the commoners but our top officials too, to be damn serious in their thinking, approach and actions to combat and nullify the effects of the notorious coronavirus otherwise we are very happily heading towards the point of no return which must be condemned and not appreciated unless one way or the other we have turned lunatic.