Sufferings of the poor in extended lock down in Pakistan

Sufferings of the poor in extended lock down in Pakistan

By Maryam Farooq Nisar

Pakistan has been battling an outburst of coronavirus for more than a month now including the current lockdown that has added to the miseries of the underprivileged.

One of the critically hit sectors of our society are the self-employed and daily wagers who are not only deprived of their daily remunerations to feed their families but are unable to pay their utility bills, fulfill children’s educational expenses, pay rents, cater for medical expenses and other vital disbursements. They are unable to save anything for more critical unforeseen situation.

With this devastating situation, the country is striving hard to deal with this pandemic which has engulfed a vast majority of down trodden and fervent section of the society. This pandemic has been a cause of great destruction in approximately two hundred countries globally. Here in our part of the world a large meagre majority are counterattacking limits on their mobility and social distancing. This has led to a great blow to their daily earnings and ultimately added to their travails.

The closure of businesses has been a cause of great opposition for the poor people and the daily wagers whose cessation of their sole source of income has forced them to resort to begging. Our financially fragile and religiously traditionalist country of approximately 220 million people are suffering at their own ends. However, the most affected are those who are deprived of even a single respectable meal to feed their large families.

Some poor families are seen sitting on the roadsides awaiting any God sent aid to come to their rescue. Also observed are hundreds of daily wagers and laborers who wander around the streets in search of dayto-day or short-term jobs. Some fear that starvation is more treacherous than the deadly virus itself.

Unfortunately, we are a country where the daily wages of
approximately one-quarter of its people is only 300 rupees. Many are in
line waiting for aid as promised by the Prime Minister, Imran Khan
under the ‘Ehsaas Program’.

Let’s see if the Government is able to come up to the expectations of
the poor strata who have nothing to depend upon except the promises
made by the supreme officials and higher ups. -Pak Destiny

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