Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Saturday emphasized that only mutual cooperation at the international level can help defeat the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with a foreign TV channel, the PPP chairman said that developed countries have a duty towards the developing nations to help them deal with the economic fallout and medical shortages caused by the pandemic. He said the world is together in this testing time and the humanity cannot afford leaving anyone behind.

Lamenting the world’s shift from multilateralism, Bilawal condemned the sanctions on Iran, claiming they are putting not just the Iranian people at risk but risking the safety and security of the entire region. He said Indian-held Kashmir has been in the state of lockdown for 250 days before the pandemic outbreak and the world must ensure that the people of the occupied region are not left to the ravages of the disease. Rich countries with resources will have to step up and distribute testing kits and medical equipment worldwide, he added.

Talking about the situation in the country, the PPP chairman said that Pakistan has been badly affected by the outbreak. He pointed out that the health system in Pakistan is not capable enough to withstand the full brunt of the pandemic. The only way to protect the lives of millions of Pakistanis is by enforcing a lockdown and advocating and facilitating social distancing, he added.

Bilawal said if the health systems of countries like Italy and UK are suffering under the deluge of coronavirus patients, the health system of a country like Pakistan which has only 0.6 beds per 1000 patients will also collapse.

Bilawal said the opposition parties have offered their unconditional support to the federal government to chalk out a joint strategy to deal with the challenges posed by the pandemic. He said it is regrettable that the federal government does not seem to be working with the same urgency the provinces are. He said the federal government is not playing an appropriate role in supporting the provincial governments increase capacity or deal with any of the challenges posed by the pandemic.