Govt officers make mockery of coronavirus precautions
CHITRAL: Making mockery of coronavirus precautions, including social distancing, and violating Section 144 imposed to ban gathering of people, the commissioner Malakand Division, deputy commissioner Lower Chitral and other officers not only allowed a large number of people to gather at a ground here to receive rations from Shahid Afridi but also continued asking people to follow the precautions.
The ground of the Centennial Model High School was full to its capacity with people, most of them not deserving ration but came there to enjoy the Tamasha under the very nose of those who had for long been restricting people of Chitral to their houses or quarantine centres after imposing a lockdown.
Addressing the gathering, Commissioner Riaz Mehsud gave a lecture on how to check the coronavirus. He said we have the examples of China and Europe and America. China through its strict precautions controlled the virus while Europe and the USA did not take the precautions seriously and got into troubles.
The commissioner on the occasion also asked the people of Chitral to strictly follow the precautions such as social distancing to keep the virus away.
DC Lower Chitral Naveed Ahmed then highlighted the steps taken by his administration and told the gathering that people returning to Chitral from different cities were being quarantined and no one was allowed to go home directly.
There was so much rush that some of them jumped on one another to grab the packs of ration distributed on behalf of Shahid Arfidi’s foundation among 500 people.—Muhkam Uddin Ayuni
Meanwhile, many people expressed astonishment over the administration’s decision to allow gathering of the public as the country was facing a lockdown.
They said if Afridi was so concerned about the poor affected by the pandemic, he could have sent the rations to the district administration for distribution among the deserving ones.
They said when a celebrity says or shows something through an action, people take a lesson from it as celebrities are a role model for others.
The local administration instead of making mockery of coronavirus precautions could have used the visit of the former star cricketer to Chitral to promote its agenda of creating awareness about safety measures to check the spread of coronavirus.
Now when the top administration officers themselves openly trampled the precautionary measures how other people would consider them important and how these officers would continue propagating them.
Afridi reached Chitral along with his family and relatives on a three-day visit on April 7. He earlier distributed rations among 30 families in a village near Drosh town.
Ex-minister seeks action against DC Chitral
Former provincial minister and PPP leader Salim Khan in a statement demanded action against the DC Chitral for arranging the public gathering for Shahid Afridi when Chitralis were being stopped from returning to their hometown.
He said the law was equal for all and anyone violating it whether a government officer or common citizen should be punished.
H e said a large number of Chitralis were stranded in different parts of the country and were not being allowed to return home or put to humiliation at the Lowari tunnel but the DC and other officers arranged a public gathering against all precautions to check the coronavirus.
The action has already been taken rather action well taken. Taken like a leader rather like a tiger. And this time around by no one but the one and only Maulana Hidayt Ur Rehman MPA. The tiger MPA of Chitral. Hats off to you Maulana. You have every right to tighten the noose around these government employees.
However, the only thing which I did not like here is that Maulana should not taken on the DC as the real culprit is Commissioner Malakand Division Riaz Khan Mehsood. Our friend DC Naveed, I am sorry to say, knows nothing about administration. The only think he knows is to follow the order from his immediate boss – Riaz Mehsood – whether it is legal or illegal.
The Commissioner has crossed all limits of decency and the time he should be sent to Pakistan Post or Pakistan Railways as chief supervisor to look after matters of ‘postmen and qulees’, as this is what he deserves. Some opportunist mafias who have a track record of opposing competent DCs like Khurshid Alam Mehsud when he tightened the noose around them have started cashing in on the situation by flattering a powerless DC.
Afridi is doing great social work and we respect and thankful to him. My request to understand the current situation and avoid public gatherings like currently he is doing in chitral. Chitral administration took great initiative by cutdown the region for any movement but all are surprise by his presence there at this sensitive time. Many peoples are stuck and not allowed in region. We feel honour and pride to him to be in our region but if this visit could have been arranged in settled time. May Allah safe us all.
شاھد آفریدی نے چترال کی عوام کیلٸے جو کیا اور جو ہمدردی دکھاٸی ہم اسکی قدر کرتے ہیں اور انکے مشکور ہیں۔
ضلعی انتظامیہ نے جسطرح جلسہ منعقد کیا اور محتاجوں کو گھر راشن پہنچانے کی بجاٸے میدان میں تماشا بنایا اور ہزاروں لوگوں کے جمع ہونے سے جس طرح پاکستانی قانون اور ١٤٤ دفعی کی خلاف ورزی ہوٸی وہ سب سراسر ناجاٸز ہوا ہے۔
اس پر مزید یہ کہ معلومات کے مطابق یوٹلیٹی سٹورز سے آٹے کی بوریاں سینکڑوں کی تعداد میں لیکر امداد کے طور پر بانٹی گٸی ہیں جو کہ علاقے کے لوگوں کے لٸے رعایتی نرخ پر آتی ہیں۔ یعنی اسطرح ایک غریب کا حق دوسرے کو دیاگیا ہے۔
thank you for highlighting this issue. Afrdi is there for vacations and to relax his mind.
People are in serious danger due to his presence in Chitral in this uncertain situation. I hope many other journalists would also shed light into this matter and DC Chitral ought to be accountable for this irrationality.