Federal not providing any assistance in fighting war against Pandemic: Bilawal

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused the federal government of not cooperating on measures against the coronavirus and said that the provincial governments are doing 90% of the work on their own.

In a joint press conference with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others in Karachi, Bilawal Bhutto said, “The poor class of the society are at risk of this disease. There are more affected people in Lyari but no assistance is being given by the federation.” ۔

“So far, the provincial governments have been doing 90 percent of the work on their own. To date, We haven’t  received any money by the federal government to increase test capacity, improve the health system and carry out relief operations and the economy,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto said that the federation has put all the responsibility on the provinces.

“We all have to fight this pandemic together. The provincial governments are spending their resources, but when a province asked the federation to increase the number of hospital beds and test them, it does not mean criticizing you, but asking you to help.” Bilawal added.

he reiterated, “This is a national and humanitarian crisis. No province, no union council and no mayor can deal with it alone.”

Bilawal Bhutto while quoting the Prime Minister’s statement and said, “Which elite has imposed a lockdown on us?”

He said that the lockdown has been extended till May 9 at the recent meeting of the ECC on the proposal of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab governments which was announced by the Federal Minister.

“So they were the elite who have imposed the lockdown? Who will explain to our Prime Minister that you are not on the container and we are facing the most difficult national crisis, so get out of the container and do your job?” Bilawal lambasted.

“The federal government is not willing to help us in increasing test capacity, nor is it ready to increase the capacity of our labs, isolation centers, quarantine centers and hospitals,” the PPP chairman said.