Significant changes to accountability law

 By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has affected all branches of the state; the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The affairs of the legislature, lawmaking, has been subject to a constant disruption due to the lack of trust in the NAB and demands of adopting amendments to curtail it before any other course of legislative business, the executive has been unable to function as the bureaucracy fears that the wide and its arbitrary powers will engulf them based on the duties that are discharged without any malice, and the judiciary has also been affected as numerous litigation has been instituted against I which includes decisions being passed by the superior judiciary questioning the modus operandi of the NAB. 

Therefore, it is not a surprise that reaching a consensus on what is to be done regarding the same seems to be utterly difficult, if not impossible, between the treasury and opposition benches. Adding fuel to fire, the performance of the NAB has caused a lack of trust for all. The government complains that the bureaucracy does not function, whereas the bureaucracy points towards the wide and arbitrary powers that have been bestowed to it which have been allegedly ‘misused’ at the expense of the public officeholders. The opposition alleges that they have been subject to brutal punishment under the garb of accountability by the government ‘backed’ NAB whose performance has been criticized by the judiciary in infamous cases. 

In an attempt to restore the confidence of all, the government has taken another initiative to amend the existing law, with the introduction of the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. However, the response tendered by the opposition for the same, and the mode of lawmaking adopted by the government depicts that this attempt may, once more, not achieve the purpose, if that was the case. 

 A bare perusal of the Amending Ordinance reveals the intention through which the government has introduced the same. Amending Section 4 of the original law, the government has decided to exclude certain matters, which include the affairs of the federal and provincial cabinets and the sub-committees, Council of Common Interests, National Economic Council and its Executive Committee, National Finance Commission, Development Working Parties at the Federal, Provincial and Departmental levels and the State Bank of Pakistan. 

Further, jurisdiction of the NAB over transactions, persons or entities that are not directly or indirectly connected to a holder of the public office have also been attempted to be curtailed. The same had been a concern of many businessmen and women and was inevitably steering the economy to a crisis due to lack of investments. Moreover, the same Section 4 has also excluded procedural lapses, where there is no connection between the said lapse and any monetary or material benefit or gain being accrued that the recipient was not entitled to receive. This aspect of the amendment was aimed at the bureaucracy as the functions of the government on every level had been virtually withheld due to the fear of initiation of criminal proceedings by the NAB over discharging of duties. 

What is to be noted that now, for any action taken by the NAB regarding procedural lapses by bureaucrats, establishing that monetary or material benefit has been gained by the bureaucrat, directly or indirectly, in lieu of the alleged ill-act will need to be presented by the NAB, a mammoth of a standard to attain, if applied in letter and spirit. The same standard has also been introduced for advice, opinion or report which had been given in course of duty by a bureaucrat. 

Furthermore, the amendment has also directed that all the pending inquiries, investigations, trials or proceedings, instituted under the original ordinance that fall under the relevant clauses of the amended Section 4 shall be transferred to the concerned authorities, departments and courts under the respective laws, a measure which is long overdue as authorities such as the Anti-Corruption Establishment, the Federal Board of Revenue and the Federal Investigation Agency have been present before the creation of the NAB. The changes introduced by the government by amendments to Section 4 of the original accountability law, if applied and construed strictly to the amended ordinance, will be widely welcomed by businessmen and women and the bureaucracy alike, as pending cases will have to meet the newly introduced standard and any new action taken by the NAB will also be subject to the same standard, a standard which cannot easily be discharged in a criminal matter before a court of law. 

The implementation of this part of the amendment is key to the revival of the economy, efficient functioning of the government and clearing of mistrust due to the unfettered powers of the NAB, which has been the concern of, directly or indirectly, all the citizens of Pakistan. Amendment in Section 5 have altered the definition of certain wordings of the accountability ordinance, most notably the change in the definition of the word ‘assets’, which has now been widened to include the property owned, controlled or belonging to the accused, directly or indirectly, or benami properties which are held in the name of the spouse, relatives or associate or any other person, whether inside Pakistan or abroad, which the accused cannot reasonably and lawfully account for. 

The widening of the definition of assets will allow more assets to be taken into consideration by the NAB, however how the same is proved to be connected to any accused, beyond reasonable doubt, still remains to be seen. The lack of the accountability courts had been cited as one of the reasons as to why there was slow progress of the trials, which remained pending for years. 

By adding Section 5A to the 2001 ordinance, the President has been empowered to establish as many accountability courts as needed throughout the country, with the consultation of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Additionally, the pool through which a judge of the accountability court may be selected has been widened to include persons who have been judges of the High Court or acted in the same capacity, judges at the level of District or Additional District Judge or judges of a Special Court or Member Judicial of tribunals, however, the said persons shall be required to be under the age of sixty-eight (68) at the time of their appointment. 

The increase of the pool of candidates allows a greater choice of persons that may be appointed in the accountability court and the same should not only speed up the process but shall further allow capable persons to be appointed to the accountability courts. However, what is interesting is that the government has virtually granted the status of a judge of the High Court to judges of Accountability courts, as they will be entitled to draw pay and allowances of the judge of the High Court. 

This is another important aspect to consider as with the clear intent of the government of forming more courts, the judges that will be appointed on the said courts will draw much greater remunerations, which all will have to be paid by a government that is taking loans for payment of installments of other loans. 

The extension of the incumbent chairman of the NAB can be stated to be the central issue of current political deadlock between the government and opposition, where it had been argued by the opposition that under the original law, the chairman cannot be granted an extension due to the ‘non-extendable’ wording of the post in the original law. In order to overcome this hurdle, the government has scrapped the non-extendable wording through substitution of Section 6 of the original ordinance with the amended version, thereby allowing extension in the term of office a Chairman, following the same procedure for appointing a chairman. 

The procedure of the removal of the chairman has been amended to be the same procedure that is adopted for the removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court, making the removal of the chairman much more difficult. The amended ordinance has empowered the President to appoint the Chairman, after consultation by the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader and if no consensus has been reached, the matter of the appointment of the chairman NAB is to be sent to a Parliamentary Committee that will be formed for the purpose of the same and until the said committee is not able to decide upon the mandate given to it. 

In the event of expiration of the tenure of the outgoing chairman, the incumbent shall continue to act in the same capacity until a successor is appointed. This issue had been at the center of the argument between the treasury and opposition benches, however, the government, by the promulgation of an Ordinance rather than an Act, can be seen to be adamant on their position. 

Overall performance of the NAB had reflected as poor, and the cases having been filed had been severely questioned by the superior judiciary in several decisions. What can be said to be an effort of ensuring that the taxpayers' money is not wasted and the rights of the accused that were once seen to be non-existent due to the modus operandi of the NAB have been attempted to be restored by the amendment to Section 8 of the 2001 Ordinance. 

The amendment introduces the rendering of advice by the Prosecutor General and Special Prosecutor in order to ensure that the rights and interests of the accused are protected. The chairman NAB shall also share the investigation report to the Prosecutor General and seek concurrence for the commencement or continuation of prosecution. Once again, the manner in which the text is interpreted is of prime consideration as seeking concurrence may be interpreted as seeking an agreement of the Prosecutor General, and in the absence of the same, cases may not be commenced or continued to be prosecuted by the NAB, therefore the way that the amending ordinance applied by the NAB and more importantly, interpreted by the judiciary will need to be observed. 

Another matter which was always the center of debate for cases falling under the Accountability Ordinance of 2001 was that there was no provision of grant of bail to the accused. The superior judiciary of Pakistan, upholding the Constitution of 1973 and ensuring that the rights of the accused are protected, granted bail in the past utilizing the extraordinary jurisdiction that was granted to it by the Constitution. The right of bail has been recognized in jurisdictions world over to be a right of the accused, and the superior judiciary sought to enforce the same for accused arrayed in cases by the NAB. 

The draconian nature of the original ordinance, which effectively resulted in an economic crisis, has made the government realize through actual experience that inclusion of bail is a need and has amended Section 9 by granting the powers for bail to the Accountability Court. However, in adding the same, the government has also made it a requirement that the surety amount of the said bail shall be fixed to be no less than the charge that a person is facing by the NAB. The inclusion of these wordings are pivotal as the government has not accounted for, or does not want to account for, the fact that the NAB had been argued to accuse persons based on financial charges that, at times, have had no quantum. 

The disqualification from the provision of finance facilities under Section 15 has been omitted by the amending ordinance, thereby allowing those convicted for offences falling under Section 9 to still be able to apply for financial facilities. The intention for doing the same has been met with criticism by the opposition and is seen as a tactic by the government to protect certain classes of individuals. As important as speedy trials are, the perception that legal proceedings are actually leading to justice also needs to be maintained. 

If the confidence on the judicial system as a whole is lost, and it is a presupposed thought that speedy trials will evidently result in what can be stated to be an equivalent to a miscarriage of justice, then the entire purpose behind the creation of a watchdog to uphold the rule of law goes in vain. Therefore, placing a six (6) month limit, without adequate measures being taken to ensure confidence, will result in more harm then benefit, and the same is a point to ponder upon for the government. 

Allowing audio and/or video evidence through modern devices can be viewed to be a commendable effort by the government, however, it needs to be ensured that the standards requiring the same evidence, especially in cases of criminal nature, must be met by the government at the end, as the court will require the government to facilitate recording of such evidence, therefore the instant attempt might need to be reconsidered by the government. 

The chairman has been allowed powers to withdraw in part or whole, with consultation with the Prosecutor General, a reference which the NAB is yet to file before the court, or one which is already being adjudicated upon before the courts. Insertion of Section 33F therefore bestows the power of withdrawal of a reference and restricts legal action or claim being initiated against not only the NAB and its officials, but also against the federal, provincial and local governments. 

Whether the instant ouster clause will stand in the eyes of the law will have to be seen through the interpretation given to the same by the courts. It must be reconsidered that in the presence of authorities such as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Anti-Corruption Establishment, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and even the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to name a few, why is there a need for the NAB especially when it has been the centre of controversy since its inception. Whatever the outcome may be, between all of this, the real sufferers will be those who genuinely raised concerns against the vague jurisdiction of the NAB and the entire economic arena of Pakistan. 

As many political leaders, primarily from the opposition used to state, the economy and the NAB cannot function together, and it seems that the government is beginning to realize the same, but still has a long way to go. Till then, we can only hope that the withering state of the country, from virtually non-existent lawmaking to the bureaucracy unwilling and hesitant to function and the bare minimum investments from the business sector, maybe stabilized somehow. Hope is what one needs, and is only what many actually have, however, hope in absence of genuine actions from the legislature, unfortunately, only projects continuance of the status quo that is at the expense of the state in its entirety.

Political maestro Asif Ali Zardari turns 65

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui

(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

Asif Ali Zardari, a man of multiple reputations, has turned 65 on July 26. Popularly known as the master of reconciliation, the former President of Pakistan is acclaimed to be a political maestro. 

Born to Hakim Ali Zardari and Bilquis Sultana Zardari in a notable and prominent tribe on July 26, 1955, Asif Zardari had a resourceful background. His political rise, however, came after he married Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, on December 18, 1987. 

Elections were held the following year and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) came to power with Benazir Bhutto becoming the first women Prime Minister in Islamic world. 

Upon the dismissal of the PPP-led government, Asif Zardari fell prey to political vindication and faced multiple and prolonged arrests starting in October 1990. He, however, was elected as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in the same month of October 1990. 

Despite securing bail, he was not allowed to be released from prison by the government and had to wait until February 1993 before he was released. Later he was acquitted of all charges. 

He joined the cabinet of the caretaker government in April 1993, and after the general elections that year, Benazir Bhutto’s PPP once again rose to the pinnacle of power. 

Controversies awaited the second government of the PPP as well with the Bhutto family divided between Benazir Bhutto and her brother Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who was being supported by their mother, Begum Nusrat Bhutto. 

Following the murder of Murtaza Bhutto in a shootout, the government was dismissed and Asif Zardari was arrested again in November 1996. 

Despite the corruption charges and various scandals his popularity graph continued rising and he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan in March 1997. 

While remaining incarcerated, he suffered an alleged suicide attempt in May 1999 and had to be shifted to the hospital from Karachi’s Central Jail. 

After prolonged imprisonment before completion of any trial, he was released on bail in November 2004 but was shortly re-arrested and placed under a short term of house arrest before he was allowed to leave for exile. 

A master of reconciliation as he was to become, he managed to strike a deal with the then President General Pervez Musharraf, known as the National Reconciliation Order (NRO) which was drafted in October 2007, through which he managed to waive all the charges leveled against himself and Benazir Bhutto. 

As a result of the NRO, Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan after her exile and was unfortunately assassinated on December 27, 2007. 

Carrying the legacy, Asif Zardari came to the forefront and alleged that his spouse was assassinated due to the lack of security provided by the government. 

Elections were held in 2008 and the PPP returned to power after a gap of 12 years. Upon the resignation of General Pervez Musharraf, Asif Zardari was elected as the new President of Pakistan and he went on to complete his term of five years, as did the PPP government, unlike the previous two occasions when they were shown the door in about a couple of years only. 

Asif Zardari silenced his critics in his role as head of the state as he proved himself to be an accomplished statesman. He rose to the occasion much to the dismay of his opponents who had thought of him to be not fit for the job. He conducted various successful visits around the world and was welcomed by his counterparts. 

The control which he had over his party was commendable, as he, while being the President, discarded the President’s power to dismiss the government through the celebrated Eighteenth (18th) Amendment, a power which was arguably misused by many Presidents in the past and he became the pilot who brought Pakistan back on route to the democratic principles. 

He’s also credited to be the leader who brought the mighty China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project to Pakistan, which has been consolidated by the successive governments since then. 

The PPP sat in the opposition after losing the 2013 elections to the Pakistan Muslim League, headed by Mian Nawaz Sharif, while the Asif Zardari-led PPP was overwhelmed by the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI). 

Asif Zardari was arrested in a fake bank accounts case, which the PPP alleged, was registered by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) due to the pressure of the government. He was nominated as an accused and was arrested on June 10, 2019 by the NAB and stayed behind bars until he was granted bail on December 11, 2019. 

Regarded as one of the most unpredictable politicians that Pakistan has ever produced, Asif Zardari has faced imprisonment for a period of almost fourteen (14) years and his health has deteriorated to a substantial degree. 

He is still regarded as a major player in the politics of Pakistan, the master of reconciliation, without any doubt. He is one of the few politicians having shown that he is not afraid of incarceration and has, on multiple occasions, stated that prison is his second home. 

The ever-smiling, witty politician cannot be understood by everyone as he has developed a personality that is indeed distinct to his political rivals. The political slogan of the PPP that is “Ek Zardari sub pe bhaari” does in both letter and spirit suit this unique politician.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: Unmatched brilliance

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It goes without saying that Barrister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a politician who was unparalleled and it can confidently be argued that no modern politician equates anywhere near to his competence or pedigree.

Born during the British Raj of India, Bhutto had seen many different aspects of life early on. He was a determined man, a few all called him stubborn, but whenever he wished to achieve something in life, he put extraordinary efforts to reach the goal. 

He went to the University of California, Berkley to attain his under graduate education and then proceeded to the prestigious University of Oxford. 

Stanley Wolpret, an English academic who wrote perhaps one of the most detailed and unbiased books on his personality titled ‘Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan’ narrated that Bhutto was determined to achieve any goal in life and he had even challenged his interviewer at Oxford having told him that he will outperform all the British students. 

After studying at Oxford, Bhutto was trained as a barrister and was called to the prestigious Lincoln’s Inn. He always had the love for his nation at his heart and wanted to contribute in some way for his country. 

Determined, as he always was, he was able to join the cabinet of President Iskander Mirza at the young age of 30, which was indeed a stunning achievement. Recognizing his talents and capabilities, President Ayub Khan also included him in his cabinet and he was appointed as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan at the age of 35. 

God had been very kind to Bhutto as he was blessed with incredible qualities and he was able to accomplish his cherished goals at an early age. Who knew that this was all because he had been destined to a rather short life?

After forming differences with President Ayub Khan, he, along with a few of his colleagues, launched his own party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with a socialist manifesto with the aim to give back to the underprivileged segments of Pakistan.

Bhutto, although was a landlord himself, seemed to have compassion for the common man and he desired to bring about a change for them. An extraordinary orator that he was, he quickly appealed to the masses and already had a considerable support after his strong diplomacy skills had impressed not only the people of Pakistan but also many of the world leaders.

Stanley Wolpret recalled that once, when Bhutto had visited the United States, the President of arguably the strongest nation in the world expressed his gratitude to him and stated that if he had been an American, he would surely have been a part of his cabinet.

Bhutto, as egoistic as he always was, quickly responded that if he was an American, he would have been in the place of the President of the United States instead.

History has had its own distinctive ways to deal with world leaders, and as we witnessed, Bhutto was destined to be hanged by his own appointed Chief of Army Staff, General Zia-ul-Haq.

One could only wonder how, an incredibly stunning individual, exceptional diplomat and a sensational leader was sent to the gallows.

July 5, 1977 was the date when Bhutto’s government faced a coup from the military forces as the conditions of Pakistan, after the unfortunate fall of Dhaka, were deteriorating at a fast pace. It was perhaps his ego, which once had raised the marvelous individual quickly to the pinnacle of power in Pakistan, caused him to be hanged on April 4, 1979.

He will always be identified by history as an extraordinarily talented individual, who achieved what most people could only dream of at a very young age but perhaps could not handle all the success that had come his way far too soon.

Thoughts on Justice Qazi Faez Isa case

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Over the past few months, we have witnessed a case of uniquely controversial nature. It's a case concerning Justice Qazi Faez Isa, one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The apex court dismissed a presidential reference against the senior judge on June 19.

According to a Supreme Court short judgement, the 10-member larger bench dismissed the government reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The Supreme Court termed the reference invalid and said: "The reference is declared to be of no legal effect whatsoever and stands quashed."

The government had filed a reference in May 2019 alleging that Justice Isa owned three properties in the UK in his wife's and children's names acquired between 2011 and 2015 while not disclosing them on his tax returns.

Justice Isa, known to be one of the most vocal judges of the Supreme Court, having passed many judgments which were praised by many, rejected the allegations and moved to the top court against the government reference last August. . 

The federal government, through the President of Pakistan had filed a reference against Justice Isa alleging that the honourable judge of the apex court had properties in England in the name of his wife, which were not declared, and this was a violation of Section 116 (1) (b) and Section 116 (2) of the Income Tax Ordinance of 2001. 

Adding to this, the federal government alleged that by committing the above-mentioned violation, the honourable judge committed gross misconduct and violated Article II and III of the judge’s code of conduct. 

Based on this, the Presidential reference recommended removal of the honourable judge to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in term violation of Article 209 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 

Justice Isa, on the contrary, described the reference as one full of malice and malafide on part of the government who did not even let the honourable judge present his side of the argument. 

The Supreme Court heard the matter a great length over a period of months and gave their short order on June 19.

The Supreme Court rejected the instant Presidential reference filed by the federal government against the honourable judge. However, what seemed as a triumph for Justice Isa and his legal team at first, was arguably not so. 

The Supreme Court, in its short order, although did dismiss the reference against the honourable judge, but did not give Justice Isa a clean chit, as they referred the matter to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for consideration and ordered the result of the investigation of the FBR to be submitted before the SJC for further action. 

Justice Isa, at the very outset, argued that the government had not given an opportunity to him to be heard, audi alteram partem as the Latin pharse which translated to ‘let the other side be heard’. 

On this ground, it could be said that Justice Isa was victorious as indeed no man, be it a public office holder or not, must be heard before any adverse decision was passed against him. 

Nevertheless, with the matter being sent to the FBR for a detailed investigation, Justice Isa is yet to be victorious in this legal battle against the government. 

During the proceedings of the now dismissed Presidential reference, the federal government, through Dr Farogh Naseem argued that a judge’s office is one of high status and confidence and the sanctity of the same must be maintained, to which the honourable judges on the bench agreed. 

Judges hold a very respectable and honourable office and as a judge of the Supreme Court, practically after who only God remains, must have a flawless reputation. This might be the wisdom behind the majority of the bench of the apex court in sending the matter to the FBR, so that justice is not only done, but is seen to be done. 

It is without any doubt that all the judges of the honourable courts of Pakistan, be them judges of the district courts or judges of the Supreme Court, are highly respectable individuals who are deemed to be unbiased and defenders of the rights of the population. 

Through this particular judgement, the Supreme Court has in fact increased the praise that should be given to the honourable courts as they have presented themselves readily before the process of accountability and have sent a matter of one of their own to the FBR for impartial inquiry. 

No one is above the law, as Justice Maqbool Baqar, one of the honourable judges on the bench hearing the Presidential reference stated and the same can be witnessed through this historic judgment. 

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who maintains that the intentions of the government are ill natured, is to prove the same with evidence before the FBR, like any citizen of Pakistan would have to do and then would be hailed. 

This reflects that the Supreme Court indeed is ready to answer any allegations raised against their own ranks viciously, and this raises the confidence of the population in the defenders of the rights of the public. It can undoubtedly be stated that through the decision of the Supreme Court on June 19, justice was not only done, but was seen to be done.

Tips for making most of quarantine

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have seen that the world, as a whole, has been greatly affected. Our lifestyle has had to be altered to bring it in line with this epidemic, the new normal, as many have termed it. 

Although these times have been proving to be cumbersome for most of us, we must realize the harsh realities and let’s adjust our lives accordingly to meet the challenge.

These times are indeed tough, even to the extent of being depressing, but we must not let these get to our heads. We must be optimistic during all phases of life and these times too shall pass. 

Now that most of us are forcefully or unwillingly locked up in our homes, we have more time on our hands to do things that in the normal, regular routine seemed rather difficult. This is a golden opportunity for us, which we must avail and make the most of it. 

On the top of our list, we could always invest our time in reading. With the extra time at our disposal, we should use maximum time in reading books, articles or magazines, whatever interest us.

In this highly competitive world, all of us need a little more than just the formal education or training that we acquire to succeed forward in life. Books give us the extra bit of knowledge that we need and there are a wide variety of books available that we can read. 

Personally, I feel that as Pakistanis, we should utilize this time and read books that pertain to our history. Pick up books that relate to the not so distant past so that we may reconnect and then progress along going into older times.

There is a vast variety of books available and they contain the truth of our nation, some moments that make us beam with pride, while others which are rather dark, but we need to know all these instances as the good or the bad, they are our history. 

Other than reading, we can also use this time and pursue the many online certifications that are available, many of whom are free. They would help us develop our skills further that would be beneficial for us, or we can explore more fields and diversify our resumes. 

All of us should focus on being productive and utilizing this time that we have, if seen from a rather optimistic angle, is a blessing in disguise. 

The positive sides of life should always be seen, and although this pandemic has affected our lives in ways that are rather uncomfortable, we must adjust to it and make the best possible use of it.

Adherence to new normal holds key to containing COVID-19

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

When these lines are being written, as per official statistics of the Government of Pakistan, there are 160,118 confirmed cases of the coronavirus out (COVID-19) out of which 97,810 cases are still active. Unfortunately, we have already lost 3,093 lives to this novel virus and the death toll continues increasing very rapidly now. 

These rising number of cases depict that Pakistan’s war with this virus is long from over, as almost on a daily basis, 5,000 plus cases are being recorded.

In these alarming times, all the citizens of Pakistan must adjust their lifestyles and step out of their comfort zones in order to combat this deadly virus. 

The World Health Organization (WHO), from time to time, has been advising the nations to observe social distancing and make use of the protective measures, which are not limited to wearing of face masks and the usage of sanitizers. 

This has become the definition of the new normal as, at the moment, there is no other way to contain this contagious virus and flatten the curve of the cases. 

It is rather unfortunate that we, the citizens in general in Pakistan, have not taken this virus seriously yet. As soon as the lockdown was eased by the government, we witnessed masses of the population flooding the markets and despite several requests by multiple governmental and social individuals, the use of face masks and observance of the principles of social distancing was hardly ever witnessed.

At this hour of war, we must forgo our interests for the greater good, for our elderly, for our weak, as they are the ones who are at the greatest of risk at the hands of this virus.

It is obviously impossible to stay inside at all times, but whenever stepping out, we must equip ourselves with the armor that is required to stop the further spreading of the coronavirus. 

As responsible citizens and for the sake of our elders, all of us must adhere to the measures laid out by the WHO in order to save ourselves and our loved ones. 

Almost every other day we come across the reports in media and the stories narrated by our friends and families of the difficulties that patients infected with the coronavirus go through, and for avoiding that, we must contain ourselves to our homes as much as possible. 

This is the new normal, the harsh and bitter truth, and we must realize this. Let’s obey social distancing, use face masks and sanitizers and hope for a better tomorrow but remember, hope alone is not enough, we must strive in the right direction for positive results.

Reopening of educational institutions too big a risk until virus flattened

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Over the past few days, we have witnessed disagreements between the Sindh government and the All Private Schools and Colleges Association, Sindh.

The Minister for Education, Sindh, Saeed Ghani withdrew the earlier announcement of the department for opening educational institutions from June 1 due to the constant and arguably increasing threat of the Coronavirus. 

The spokesman for the provincial government, Barrister Murtaza Wahab pointed out that 1,128 cases of coronavirus were of children below the age of 10 in Sindh, which shows that curve of the virus has unfortunately not flattened yet. 

However, the All Private Schools and Colleges Association Sindh’s chief has demanded for the schools to be allowed to be reopened from June 15. 

He has contended that the implementation of the SOPs of the government did not require any rocket science and further went on to say that sanitizers, disinfectants, thermal guns and face masks could be arranged in every school and college.

It is the bitter truth that due to the closure of the educational institutions, not only are children were suffering from acquiring education but so were the employees of the educational institutions who also faced prospects of unemployment. 

However, as citizens of a developing country, all of us know that it is arguably next to impossible for every educational institution across the province of Sindh to effectively implement the SOPs put forth by the government. 

Here we arrive at the harsh reality in deciding whether to prevent our children from contracting the cureless virus or to save the jobs of the employees associated with the schools and an academic year of the students. 

Tough times call for tough decisions and necessity warrants that educational institutions should remain closed until the curve of coronavirus was flattened in order to ensure not only the safety of our children but also to successfully eradicate the novel coronavirus from the province.