PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for the inclusion of well-known health experts in National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and said administrative steps should be taken on the basis of their recommendations.

The claims made by the government are totally opposite to the ground realities, Shehbaz said. He added that the coronavirus patients were waiting for treatment in hospitals’ corridors but the government was either insulting the people or abusing the opposition.    

In a statement, Shehbaz expressed his serious concerns over the exponential rise in the reported coronavirus cases and deaths and urged the government to refrain from stressing on wrong assumptions and refusing from accepting the facts.

Convene a meeting of the Council for Common Interests (CII) immediately, he said and added that the doctors, administration and political/military leadership should review the situation and adopt a joint strategy.

The PML-N president also demanded immediate restoration of local governments which, he added, could play an effective role in fight the coronavirus pandemic.

“What is the alternate strategy of the government if lockdown isn’t a solution to the problem?” Shehbaz questioned. The imposition of lockdown without necessary preparations and then relaxing the restrictions sans appropriate measure proved dangerous, he noted.

The PML-N chief also touched the subject of the stranded Pakistani expatriates and asked the government to stop overcharging them. The foreign and overseas Pakistanis ministries had failed to bring Pakistanis back home and tackling the issue of their exploitation, he noted.

To address the issue, Shehbaz demanded formation of a parliamentary committee to follow the complaints of overseas Pakistanis and bring them back to the country.

He also called for a strict action against those charging extra money for the international flights ensuring their return to Pakistan and cancelling the licences of those travel agents who are involved in this practice.