By Abdul Sattar Ghilzai
After having remained quarantined for few days, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leadership has once again come of surface to pitch hatred in society and this time using COVID-19 for spoiling the minds of Pashtun population.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has been less affected by the COVID-19 as compared to Punjab and Sindh provinces. Provincial administration has been seen actively engaged in community health, medical equipment procurement and awareness initiatives to save people of the province form pandemic.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special focus to help daily wage workers and labour force is also being actively pursued by the provincial government and people are generally confident about the steps taken for their care.
To help the cause of doctors and paramedics, Pakistan Army has also been deployed along with police, administration and rest of the government machinery to ensure health precautions including lock down. Army is also assisting Federal and provincial programmes in helping poor and needy in these testing times.
Rejected by masses and having miserably failed to incite ethnic divide and hate campaigns against Army, PTM leadership has again targeted Army for the ills related to COVID-19. They have been accusing Army for heavy defence Budget, luring in foreign aid and for building Quarantine facilities closer to erstwhile FATA. They also criticize government for establishing these facilities in education institutions.
A deliberate look at these allegations exposes PTM designs. Health facilities and Quarantine centers have been established in all major population centers and so has that been done in Dera Ismail Khan. Step is aimed at providing better health facility to the people of affected population, if any. Government has every right to use education facilities and buildings for making Quarantine centers as education process is halted till COVID-19 threat is tackled.
Role of armed forces is amply clear to the nation. All army officers and ranks from soldier to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) have made contributions to national Corona Relief Fund. Army Medical Corps is making substantial efforts in establishment of Quarantine centers and other facilities.
Army is out in the field in entire country, helping people and administration meet COVID-19 challenge. NDMA is also using Army’s resources and assistance in field relief and medical assistance.
One wonders what benefit PTM will acquire by targeting Armed Forces when nation needs unity, cooperation and brotherhood.
People are in distress and in such situation they would remember who stood for their welfare and who opted for division and negativity. PTM stands high on the second ladder.
Note: Abdul Sattar Ghilzai is a student of Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan, KPK Pakistan
