WHILE the world has been plagued by deadly Covid-19, Pakistan initially had just two coronavirus cases — one in Karachi and the other in Islamabad. Both were pilgrims who returned from Iran after getting infected there.

The government had initially closed its borders with Iran on Feb 23 to contain the virus. Later, it committed the grave mistake of reopening Taftan border after 14 days. This allowed thousands of our pilgrims to enter Pakistan without completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine in Iran.

This resulted in a huge surge in coronavirus-infected people, and from two infected people, we now have over 600 infected people in the country with a majority of cases reported in Sukkur and Karachi, where we have hundreds of victims of the virus.

The most pertinent question is: who ordered the reopening of Taftan border when we all know that Iran is the third most affected country after China and Italy with over 18,000 total cases and over 1,200 deaths. PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has accused Imran Khan’s close aide Zulfi Bukhari of influencing the policy and playing a role in reopening the Taftan border.

Opening and closing a border with a country is a sensitive issue and comes under the federal government. Orders for reopening a border come, or should come, directly from the prime minister. We cannot absolve the federal government of creating the present situation.

The worst part is the border is still open and people coming from Iran are escaping from the quarantine camps owing to inhuman conditions. And our prime minister knows this.

This reopening of the Taftan border has put the lives of 220 million people at risk besides putting enormous burden on our already fragile economy. After this surge in coronavirus case, we now see lockdown in Sindh, hoarding and profiteering, shopping spree and refusal by the doctors to work in the absence of masks in Punjab.

To add salt to injury, our kaptan says this virus would spread magar ghabrana nahin hay. Unfortunately, when Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has wisely ordered a partial lockdown in Sindh, our beloved prime minister has ruled it out in provinces under PTI.

Naseem Khan
Karachi

(2)

ON March 17, the federal government issued a directive that those travelling to Pakistan by air should carry a certified copy of a test conducted 24 hours before boarding the aircraft from the authorities, stating that the passenger is not suffering from coronavirus.

To begin with, the authorities in the country from where a passenger is boarding an aircraft will be having too much on their plate to test each and every passenger. Also, with flight delays and even cancellations a certificate may not fulfill the 24-hour deadline.

I am worried because my son, his wife and three children — one of whom is just a few months old — have confirmed booking of seats from Singapore to Karachi. The only place where the authorities test people in the city state is where they are suspected of carrying the virus. This means that if you want to get a certificate, you and your family will have to stand in a queue and expose yourselves to the virus.

A proper procedure should be that travellers flying to Pakistan be tested at our own airports, where people with small children and senior citizens should be examined first. If they are found to be carriers of virus they should be quarantined.

One last point, countries from where passengers will board the aircraft will ask for a fee, which in some countries is quite hefty.

Asif Noorani
Karachi

(3)

I WAS recently at a departmental store wearing a mask and latex gloves. While I was pushing my trolley through one of the sections, two young salesmen passed by. Surprised to see a Martian standing before them, they paused, broke into laughter and exclaimed: woh dekho corona.

I paid no heed to their mockery but the act made me both happy and sad at the same time. These youngsters were aware of the source of global havoc but lacked the knowledge on its seriousness.

The situation is so grave that the last thing that should stop someone from following the precautionary measures is the hesitance owing to social stigma.

I request all government representatives, who regularly do media talks, to practically demonstrate what these protective measures are. While addressing the media they should wear mask and gloves themselves.

We see ministers doing press conferences with a dozen people encircling them. This should be discouraged and they should sit or stand at a reasonable distance from the adjacent person so that the viewer gets a rough idea of what a three feet distance is.

I urge them to set themselves as examples so that the nation can start accepting these preventive measures and follow suit.

Rabia Siddique
Lahore

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2020