PRESS RELEASE

While expressing his deep anguish and concerns on fastly spreading of COVID-19 in the country, specially during last couple of days, Mr Abid Saqi, Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council, has strongly supported the demand of Doctors and their premier elected body, the Pakistan Medical Association, for complete lockdown throughout the country and enforcing writ of the State for ensuring social distancing, in true & strict sense, in all public places including Mosques, for combating the lethal disease.

The decision of the Federal Government to allow gatherings in Mosques for Juma & Trawih Prayers, when in view of gravity of the situation all over the world, all the Muslim States across the globe, have strictly banned such gatherings, reflects undue leniency towards religious monopolists, which being violative of standards of social distancing and other related basic parameters, will, for sure, largely add to already alarming number of persons infected by Corona virus. Our already weak and chocked healthcare system will absolutely be unable to meet and cater such a situation.

The Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council, has, therefore, urged upon the Federal Government to review its policy and ensure placing of complete lockdown throughout the country without any exception and leniency specially to religious monopolists, for saving precious lives of the people particularly in view of anticipated gravity of situation in Pakistan in coming few weeks as alarmed by the WHO and our own medical care experts.

Muhammad Arshed,
Secretary,
Pakistan Bar Council
25-04-2020