Eidul Azha: Senate body for special SOPs to contain Covid-19 spread

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Friday urged the government to prepare special standard operating procedures (SOPs) for controlling spread of the coronavirus during upcoming Eidul Azha.

The committee, which met with Senator Rehman Malik in the chair, observed that Covid-19 cases would further increase in August, therefore, the government needed to make special SOPs in order to control spread of virus during Eidul Azha. Malik said that awareness campaign regarding coronavirus launched through print and electronic media should be made more effective.

The committee also discussed the matter related to provision of relief businesses especially hotels and restaurants, which remain closed during lockdown imposed following the spread of coronavirus.

The spread of Covid-19 has also badly affected business community along with the poor people, Malik said. Malik urged the government to announce relief packages for traders and businessmen. He said that in the first phase, small businessmen especially those who were running shops in markets and big malls should be accommodated for their loss during lockdown period.

The chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) said that a list of small and big businesses needed to be prepared. He said that he was ready to hold consultation with the deputy commissioner for relief package for Islamabad.

However, an official of the Ministry of Interior said that the deputy commissioner or the chairman CDA could not announce relief package and only government could announce it.

The committee discussed Provincial Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2020 introduced by Senator Faisal Javed Khan, which seeking a new Section 112AA in the Ordinance XIX of 1965 regarding offences and penalties related to emergency vehicles. Section 1,2,3 of the amendments proposed calling for giving clear and uninterrupted passage to ambulances and fire brigades, imposing fines on failure to comply and punishing people who use warning devices without authorization respectively were approved, while sections 4,5,6 were withdrawn by the mover. The committee approved the bill with some amendments.

The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (omission of 124-A) introduced by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani was also discussed in the meeting. The mover briefed the committee about the scope of amendment, which will omit the Section 124-A.

Malik said that since the bill was of highest importance it needed thorough deliberation. He decided to call the federal secretary law and all provincial home secretaries in the next meeting to further deliberate on the bill.

The meeting was attended by senators Faisal Javed Khan, Javed Abbasi, Mian Ateeq Shaikh, Mian Raza Rabbani, Kulsoom Parveen, Sardar Shafiq Tareen, chairman CDA and other officials from the Ministry of Interior.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020