There is a high chance that this may be our new normal
KARACHI: On Monday, President Arif Alvi proposed a global truce against all “skirmishes and war-like situations” around the world during the virtual summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the second biggest global forum outside the UN. Dr Alvi also took a jibe at Indian PM Narendra Modi by calling out the well-documented hate crime incidents against the Kashmiris while proposing a ceasefire. It seems that Pakistan is at the forefront of building peace around the world and has truly acted like an Islamic Republic by calling on the central-most idea of Islam. Similarly, the UN is also keen on convincing nations to stop their callous political and economic attitude in light of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic.
Five months have passed since the eruption of the virus but leaders such as Donald Trump of the US and Brazil’s Bolsonaro are still at their worst. Trump is still busy attacking Iran, China and other nations while deluding his people into believing that the virus is a hoax. While Bolsonaro has explicitly stated that lives will be lost but the country needs to function and has removed lockdown curbs in many parts of the country. Both men are risking the lives of their people.
It has been 100 years since the world has faced a pandemic of such a magnitude. We haven’t seen the like of such a disease ever. Thus, such an unprecedented situation calls for unprecedented actions. Leaders need to start taking this pandemic seriously. There is no use bickering like children about who is responsible and who is to blame. We are already in the midst of the pandemic and mindless words are of no use. Countries need to abide by the protocols set by the WHO and create awareness about the disease so that citizens are well prepared.
There is a high chance that this may be our new normal. Pandemics may be more frequent in the future and governments can suddenly call for complete lockdowns. It is necessary to create efficient systems that will continue into the future. In the meantime, it is important to maintain peace.
Saqib Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2020.
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