By Hina KIyani
RAWALPINDI: Minister of State for Safron and Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi on Monday lauded the performance of the Prime Minister’s Tiger Force volunteers and said that they were playing an active role in implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent spread of coronavirus and trying to provide relief to the masses.
Addressing oath taking ceremony of the Tiger Force volunteers of Rawalpindi Cantt Circle here at Rawalpindi Arts Council as chief guest, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan was taking exemplary steps to fight the deadly virus.
Due to the government’s timely initiatives and planning, the public healthcare system had been strengthened as was evident from significant reduction in deaths due to COVID-19 and better recovery rate in Pakistan as compared to the rest of the world, he added.
The minister said the pandemic had badly affected the world economy including Pakistan but the PTI government was making all out efforts to provide relief to the citizens despite financial constraints.
He appreciated the role of the Tiger Force which had been working to help control of the spread of coronavirus. A large number of youths had signed up for the Tiger Force, who were now voluntarily helping the administration in the fight against the deadly virus, he added.
Shehryar Afridi urged the people to adopt precautionary measures against coronavirus and follow the advice of the medical experts.
The minister who is also Chairman of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir Affairs urged the world to act and save eight million Kashmiris locked in the biggest jail on earth called India-held Kashmir (IHK).
He said, the citizens should come forward and play a role to express solidarity and raise voice for their Kashmiri brethren particularly on August 5 as the Indian government revoked a special status granted to the occupied region and repealed Article 35A and Article 370 of Indian constitution on Aug 5 last year.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hell-bent on carrying out genocide of Kashmiri people, he added.
He said the world needed to intervene to avoid human catastrophe in Kashmir as the presence of over a million Indian forces in disputed territory had turned the valley into a massive jail where around eight million Kashmiris had been kept under detention.
He said Kashmiris had no link with the outside world as all communications, food supplies and medicines had been cut off. He said the human rights violations were a major challenge for the world conscience.
Pakistan could not be a silent spectator to the gravity of the situation, he said, adding that the PTI government was carrying the message of peace and trying to apprise the world of the situation in Indian occupied Kashmir.
Shehryar Afridi said Prime Minister Imran Khan was raising the Kashmir issue at all world forums.
