ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has expressed concerns over the government’s plan to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed questioned the state’s contingency on dealing with the pandemic. He was hearing the petition pertaining to the release of under-trail prisoners amidst the pandemic.
The CJP also questioned the Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza’s qualification.
“What sort of an emergency has been imposed in the country where all the hospitals in the country have been closed?” Justice Gulzar remarked. “Private clinics in the country have also been closed.”
“No one knows what is happening on the ground,” he added. “Is this how we will deal with this pandemic? The Centre has nothing and they are doing nothing as well.”
Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan informed the court that they have submitted a report in this regard.
The CJP further said, “The public has been left on their own. The provincial governments keep talking about distribution of rations and funds and the chief ministers keep issuing orders from their homes. Nobody knows about the ground realities.”
The attorney general requested a briefing in his chamber in response to this. “What will you tell us there that we don’t already know,” Justice Gulzar remarked.
Regarding the qualification of SAPM Dr Mirza, the CJP said, “Zafar Mirza only comes on the television for projections. We are not coronologists. We just want to make sure the public is getting their basic rights.”
The petition under hearing was about the release of under-trail prisoners. CJP Gulzar said the court cannot release the under-trial prisoners. “The government needs to find a way around this. Those who have the virus will infect others as well. The government needs to impose precautionary measures in prisons,” he said.
Justice Qazi Ameen – part of the five-member bench – said, “If the infected person is not in the jail, others will be safe.”
Justice Atta Bandial said, “We need to make SOPs to deal with these situations. A large number of people live in police and army barracks and SOPs are followed there.” court also ordered for better facilities to be set up at Taftan border to screen patients and to keep them in isolation. “Proper quarantine centres and isolation wards should be set up at Taftan, Torkhan and Chaman borders. A quarantine centre should be set-up within the next two-weeks. Each person should have a separate room, bathroom and good food,” Justice Gulzar said. The court then adjourned the hearing of under-trial prisoners till next week.
