The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the authorities on Tuesday regarding the provision of facilities at coronavirus quarantine centres, saying the court is not concerned with the money being spent to cope with the pandemic but the ‘quality of services’ being provided across country.
A five-judge bench of the top court heard a suo motu case regarding measures taken to deal with the coronavirus crisis. Headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, the bench includes Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed.
National Disaster Management Authority’s Chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal was also present in the court during the hearing.
“Videos circulating on social media are depicting the dire condition of the quarantine centres,” remarked Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, adding that people are not getting basic facilities such as water and clean washrooms at the quarantine centres. “Our concern is not related to the expenditure, it is about the quality of services,” he said to the officials present before the court. “10 people are sitting side by side. What kind of quarantining is this?” he inquired, and noted that Pakistan is a poor country. “We are playing with money and don’t care for the people,” he said. “Graduates are not being utilised in our country,” he lamented. “Pakistan has a lot of talent, it should be used,” he observed.
The bench summoned NDMA chief Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal on the rostrum and discussed the report submitted by the body. The chief justice noted that the report mentions a company which manufactures personal protective equipment. “What is Desto Pakistan Army? Is this a private company?” Justice Ahmed asked, adding, “The machinery for this company has been brought through a special plane.”
The NDMA chief explained that Desto (Defence Science & Technology Organisation) is a subsidiary company of Strategic Plans Division (SPD). The chief justice inquired if the machinery for Desto was being ordered from a single Chinese company, and said that Pakistan only received ‘third class’ material from China.
The CJP noted that the public is facing an uncertain situation regarding the coronavirus tests as they do not know whether they are actually infected or not. “In Lahore, four people tested positive at a government facility, but at a private lab, they tested negative,” he pointed out. The CJP continued that in a recent video clip, a man is seen crying that his wife was not infected with the virus but the health officials did not pay heed to him. “What to do in such a situation? The relatives of a patient keep complaining that their patient does not have the coronavirus,” he said.
Giving the example of the SC Lahore registry, the top judge said that the employees faced a similar situation where they tested negative at a private lab. He observed that there are resources present to facilitate the public but they are not performing to their maximum potential.
The apex court stated that the NDMA is working primarily in cities but not in far-flung villages. The attorney general said that due to the court’s recent order to reopen shopping malls and small markets, the public is thinking that the coronavirus issue is not a serious matter. He pointed out that the officials are now facing difficulty in implementation of measures due to the apex court’s orders. He requested the court to keep in view the severity of the situation while giving remarks and orders.
