When it comes to the management of the Coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government deserves praise and recognition. The policy decisions made by the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) on COVID-19 related lockdowns and restrictions have helped curtail the spread of the diseases, bringing the country almost back to normalcy. This was also evident by the fact that on Tuesday, Pakistan’s COVID-19 positivity ratio was recorded below one per cent for the first time since March 2020. It was early last year when the first case of the Coronavirus pandemic was reported in the country, since then cases witnessed a worrying surge, with brief periods of stability, until more recently in August when cases started to rapidly decline. One of the reasons that can be attributed to this sudden decline is the government’s robust vaccination process that has now administered 113m doses of the vaccine in total.
In the wake of this, the NCOC eased restrictions, resumed classes at schools with 100 percent attendance, and allowed for all commercial activities to take place as per pre-COVID-19 timings. This normalcy of activities was reflected in The Economist’s latest index that listed Pakistan at the top. The index measures people’s behaviour across 50 countries in real-time by having parameters such as travel to sporting attendance. In the past few months, the normalcy index rose to 79 points – highest since March 2020 – with Pakistan leading towards the 100 points mark, which is equivalent to average pre-pandemic behaviour. Federal minister took to their respective official Twitter handles to highlight the country’s ‘huge success’ in fighting the pandemic. And there is not denying that Pakistan has fared well. The WHO had also previously praised the government for its effective handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.
While there were initial challenges in dealing with the situation at hand, the provincial governments along with the centre, were able to mitigate effect. Credit must be given but the work shouldn’t stop here. We must remember that at a time when countries in the West are offering booster shots for the vaccine, as there is ample evidence for its need, we are still short from achieving the 140million target to vaccinate all eligible citizens. Moreover, while patting on its back for appearing on top of the normalcy index, the ruling party must realise that it only reflects people’s behaviour and not an end to the virus.
