ISLAMABAD, MAR 22,  (DNA) – A video conference of the Central executive Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party was held today to take stock of the situation arising out of the corona virus pandemic, the measures taken by the Sindh government and suggestions for a way forward.

In a statement Secretary General of the PPPP ex Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting presided over by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Bilawal House Karachi and participated by Party leaders from all over Pakistan in their respective home towns and communicating via Skype.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Provincial Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuhu, Ms Faryal Talpur, provincial Information Minister Saeed Ghani, all provincial presidents including that of AJK and GB also participated in the meeting.

Addressing the Conference Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said that corona virus was a national issue that called for a national response beyond partisan politics and stressed the need for national unity and a collective strategy to fight it. The Chairman said that he had already proposed holding a Multi Parties Conference on the issue for evolving a collective national response.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah gave a rundown of the steps already taken by the provincial government in the wake of pandemic and the steps being taken further. He apprised the participants of the measures taken to procure personal protection equipments for the medical professionals on the forefront of the fight against corona virus and the quarantine facilities set up in the province. Information Minister Saeed Ghani briefed the participants on the measures taken thus far to reach out to the poor and vulnerable sections of society.

The Conference stressed the need for devising a broad based national policy, setting up of a Special National Fund, large scale quarantine facilities in all regions, special relief packages for poor and destitute victims and reaching out to the most vulnerable in far flung areas and refugee camps . The meeting also called for adopting measures against the layoff of employees due to the crisis.

Issues pertaining to the calling of army in aid of civil power were also discussed in the meeting.

The meeting urged all citizens of the country to fully abide by the directions issued by the governments’ health officials regarding necessary precautions to be taken during the crisis and avoidance of anything that tended to create alarm and despondency.

The meeting noted that the pandemic had seriously impacted the neighboring Iran and called for lifting of sanctions against the country to help it in fighting the disease.

The meeting paid tributes to doctors, nurses, paramedics and all those fighting the disease on war footing. They are the nation’s true heroes and heroines, it said.

The meeting also lauded the leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto in these testing times and the measures adopted by the provincial government of Sindh.