Opposition warned against ‘risking lives’
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar said on Saturday that the opposition should refrain from playing with the lives of people by holding rallies.
Addressing the media along with Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan after hosting a luncheon at Governor House on Saturday, he said the opposition rallies could lead to spreading coronavirus at a large scale in the country. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was not holding rallies and public gatherings because of the pandemic, adding that it was not the right time for politics or rallies. He said it had become the norm for the opposition to give priority to political and personal interests instead of the national issues. He said the whole world was going for lockdowns because of coronavirus.
He maintained that Prime Minister Imran Khan had adopted the policy of smart lockdown and it had already yielded positive results.
“The government has already given a national plan on coronavirus to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and it is everyone's responsibility to implement it,” he said.
Earlier, addressing a ceremony regarding the Shan-e-Rehmatullil Alameen (PBUH) week, te governor said, "I have made it compulsory in all the universities of Punjab to study the Quran with translation."
He said the doors of Governor House were opened on the deserving and needy children. Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant Firdous Ashiq Awan said if the opposition held a rally in the province, the law would definitely take its course.
“The opposition should work for implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent coronavirus instead of holding rallies,” she added. The opposition had put people's lives at stake, she alleged.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2020.