Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the nation to stay united and steadfast in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease.
Visiting the National Co-ordination and Operation Centre (NCOC) for Covid-19 in Islamabad, the prime minister said that we need a unified and well-co-ordinated joint response to fight the disease during the next couple of months.
He urged the people to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to contain the spread of the virus.
Khan also urged upon the public to exercise caution in social distancing and protect elderly and sick persons, particularly those suffering from heart-related diseases and diabetes.
He directed the concerned departments to take all efforts to control the spread pf the disease, besides ensuring the availability of medicines, oxygen supplies, and beds in hospitals.
Lauding the role of NCOC, the prime minister said that Pakistan is facing the challenge of Covid-19 in a balanced manner while keeping in view related factors.
He said that media has performed with responsibility and stressed that any tendency to sensationalise the situation must be self-regulated.
Participants of the meeting expressed the resolve to continue the strategy of balance between life and livelihood.
It was reiterated that while businesses must remain open, strict implementation of SOPs will be ensured through awareness and administrative actions.
The chief ministers of the provinces as well as the Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) prime minister briefed the forum about the steps being taken in their respective areas and unanimously acknowledged the support provided by the federal government in all respects.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has directed that efforts be expedited to formulate a uniform education syllabus and its implementation, stressing that ending the educational “apartheid” in the country is a priority of his government.
He gave these directions while chairing a meeting in Islamabad to review progress on reforms in the education system.
Khan also ordered augmented efforts to implement the plan to help seminaries and madrassahs join the mainstream, especially in terms of imparting modern education to students.
In view of the coronavirus pandemic, Khan urged a joint future strategy in consultation with the provincial education ministers regarding the education and teaching process.
He was briefed on the progress made so far on efforts for introducing a uniform syllabus, reforms in seminaries and the higher education sector, and promoting the initiative of a skilled Pakistan workforce.
It was revealed that a consensus curriculum has been formulated from class one to class five, which will be implemented from April next year.
In addition, relevant stakeholders are being consulted to formulate the syllabus for sixth to eighth grade.
On various initiatives such as tele-schooling to continue the education system despite the closure of educational institutions due to the pandemic, Khan was informed that an estimated 7-8mn students are benefiting from this facility.
An e-learning portal is also being launched, while Radio Pakistan will be tapped to help educate students in the remote areas of the country.
The meeting was also given a detailed briefing on various initiatives to improve the education system in the country, with the co-operation of international organisations.
Prime Minister Khan also issued directives to be taken against the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that have been found responsible for the “artificial” petrol crisis, saying that those found guilty of hoarding should be arrested.
Sources said that the country’s petroleum crisis had been declared as “artificial”.
The report on this crisis has been submitted to the prime minister and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
According to the report, nine OMCs deliberately “created” the crisis.
Oil director-general Dr Shafi Afridi and Petroleum Division officials failed in discharging their duties, the report added.
Khan directed that action be taken against these companies and those found responsible in petroleum crisis, and that the those found guilty of supplying hoarded petrol to the market be arrested.
He warned that the petroleum crisis would not be tolerated.
The licences of the companies involved in the petroleum crisis should be suspended or revoked, the prime minister said.
He suggested that it may be made mandatory that all oil marketing companies must ensure stocks for 21 days.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has meanwhile issued notices to the ministry of petroleum, Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the OGRA, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a petition filed against the crackdown on OMCs.
Zoom Petroleum (Pvt) Limited, a subsidiary of the Mehar Group of Companies (Pvt) Limited, filed the petition against the Fuel Crisis Committee and the ongoing crackdown on OMCs allegedly responsible for the massive fuel shortage in the country.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition.
In the petition, the petitioner requested the court to set aside the ministry of petroleum’s June 8 and 9 notifications, announcing tough government action against all OMCs for allegedly creating an artificial shortage of petroleum products in the country.
Zoom Petroleum (Pvt) Limited further requested the Islamabad High Court to stop the government from taking any action against the company until final adjudication of the case.
According to the petition, the inquiry committee had on June 12 summoned the chief executive officer of Zoom Petroleum (Pvt) Limited and charged him with hoarding and black marketing of petroleum products.
On June 9, the government initiated an inquiry against the OMCs and constituted the Fuel Crisis Committee.