PM confusing nation through contradictory statements: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was confusing the nation through his contradictory statements.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif said, “He’s not providing leadership. He’s providing confusion. We can’t defeat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic by fig leaves.”

The PML-N leader criticized the PTI-led federal government over mishandling the ongoing coronavirus situation. He said, “The federal government is also confused in its handling of coronavirus outbreak.”

He further said the rising number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan was due to the negligence showed by the federal government.

“When or coronavirus death rate was lower, the whole country was completely shut down. Now as we are witnessing a spike in the cases, the government is easing the lockdown restrictions,” he added.

He also stressed the need for a complete lockdown for a few weeks and said that it would have succeeded in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

“If we had imposed a complete lockdown at the initial stages, then we would have been through with this crisis by now,” he opined.

Khawaja Asif predicted that it could take years for life to return to normality once the coronavirus pandemic is over. He said, “These are tough times, and it could take years for things to go back to normal.”

“We are giving up when the fight has only just begun. No one knows how long this outbreak will last,” he said.

PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal in a joint statement urged the National Assembly speaker to give a ruling on the fact that their speeches from today’s National Assembly session weren’t being aired on television.

In this regard, Ahsan Iqbal said, “Today is a very important session. This is a national challenge and it is the government’s responsibility to also show the opposition’s speeches.”

The National Assembly Speaker responded that the matter was being investigated. He later added that the PTV Parliament was broadcasting the entire session.