Opposition is playing with health & lives of people: Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Saturday said the opposition was playing with health and lives of the people by adopting irresponsible attitude irrespective of spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking to a private news channel, he said the opposition was intentionally playing with lives of the people by insisting to hold their public gatherings in different cities.

The Minister said the government was not feared from opposition political gatherings so it had allowed them to hold public gatherings in different cities.

The government wanted to provide protection to health and lives of the masses, adding opposition should review their decision about holding political meetings during the pandemic because it was collective responsibility to adopt all standard operating procedures (SOPs) which were issued by the government to combat coronavirus.

Coronavirus was not only issue of any single political party but it was matter of the nation so the people should follow SOPs with letter and spirit, he added.

Replying to a question, he said ratio of deadly virus was high in Khyber Pakthunkhawa as compared to other provinces so the government had asked the opposition for canceling political gathering in the larger interest of the country and its people.

Shibli Faraz said the government had already canceled its scheduled political gatherings but opposition was playing with the lives of the people just for gaining personal interests, adding opposition should bring their families in their gatherings but they will never do this.

He said every issue should be discussed in the Parliament as it was the appropriate forum for resolving the matters but opposition parties were using derogatory language against the government.