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COVID-19 cases in Pakistan have crossed the mark of 21k and continue to spread rapidly with almost a thousand new cases being reported every day.
And while the federal and provincial governments have been working in tandem – political statements notwithstanding – to provide relief to the citizens through smart-lockdown, its own departments seem to be having trouble following social distancing SOPs.
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) remains on the top of the list that is defying all the social distancing protocols.
NADRA reopened its offices on 27th April across the country to facilitate the beneficiaries of the Ehsaas Programme.
The staff had been directed to ensure social distancing and adhere to the preventive measures previously outlined by the government.
However, scenes from different NADRA offices across Pakistan where recipients of the Ehsaas Cash Programme had gathered in large numbers painted a rather sorry picture.
Visuals coming from several NADRA offices, including Rawalpindi, Lahore and Islamabad explicitly reflect serious violations of the COVID-19, social distancing protocols.
NADRA Spokespersons blame Ehsaas program beneficiaries for the chaos
Commenting on the situation, one NADRA spokesperson said that Ehsaas program beneficiaries had been told to call the helpline, i.e. 7000 to book an appointment before visiting. He added, “Most people here have turned up without doing that.”
On the other hand, the Director General of NADRA in Sindh, Mir Ajam Khan completely denied the violation of social distancing protocols stating that all precautionary measures were being followed as directed by the government. He added that the police and rangers had also been brought in to manage the crowds.
True that these are extraordinary times and everyone, including the government and its many departments are learning by trial and error. However, more than any other emergency that Pakistan has faced before, certain SOPs can simply not be taken lightly, especially those at the helm of affairs. Blaming crowds for violating social distancing protocols can simply not absolve NADRA officials for poor planning.
