COVID-19: Pak authorities sell relief materials to retail stores in PoK

At a time when all governments across the world have come together to distribute relief materials and medical equipment and supplies, Pakistan is still busy adjusting its ways to protect its people during difficult circumstances. Pakistani authorities are selling to retail stores in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) the relief material and essential food items, which are actually meant for the poor during COVID-19 crisis.

Mirpur (PoK): Pakistani authorities are selling to retail stores in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) the relief material and essential food items, which are actually meant for the poor during Covid-19 crisis.

"The authorities are making us wait for at least two hours every day. When we reported this to the Tehsil officials, he said that he will come after 2 p.m. (local time) and then look into the situation. He told us that a truck carrying wheat flour will arrive at a nearby retail store. But when we checked, there was no such movement happening. There was no single person selling anything," a resident of Mirpur said.

"Furthermore, the authorities also told us that the district collector will note down the people's mobile numbers and let them know once the truck comes. But no such notice has come to us for days. Moreover, fair-price shops are also not selling us 'atta'. They are continuously deferring the process. They are doing fraud with us," he added.

At a time when all governments across the world have come together to distribute relief materials and medical equipment and supplies, Pakistan is still busy adjusting its ways to protect its people during difficult circumstances.

The situation is chaotic and the government has no handle on it. The poor management during a time of crisis, proven to be worst in decades, only showcases the weaknesses of Imran Khan-government of how he is failing to mobilize its broken state as the number of coronavirus cases rapidly surges in the world's fifth-most populous country.

While a district official announced, "We are directly sending the relief materials loaded in trucks to the retail stores in order to save time," a second person standing in the crowd and waiting for the essentials since morning, interrupted the former and said, "We just have a simple request to make to the government and that is to fill the supplies of 'atta'. All district officials should ensure this. Every one of us is aware that the supply chain of the goods has been disrupted due to the lockdown but the essential items should be present in adequate proportion to us."

In recent weeks, as the coronavirus's marched rapidly across the globe, Khan downplayed its dangers bragging that the country was virus-free.

Reports have also emerged that the government is forcibly hoarding loads of infected patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the region.

Special quarantine centers have been set-up in Mirpur and other major cities in the occupied regions to cleanse the Punjab province of COVID-19 patients as Army top brass has ordered that no positive patient should be anywhere near where Army facilities and Army family housing is there.

After ranting false narratives over discrimination in Kashmir on the part of India, this was is what the Imran Khan-government has left for the occupied regions especially during a crisis when the entire world has come together to provide relief at the earliest.

People, in these regions, are urging the United Nations as well as India to send in relief materials and intervene against the agenda of Islamabad.

Pakistan on Wednesday reported the biggest jump in coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day as the number of people infected with the deadly virus reached 2238.

The country has also witnessed 31 deaths from the infection.