![]() You’ll find the classics - your Orwells, Huxleys, and Atwoods - but you’ll also find a rising crop of new entries into the dystopian canon, from younger authors with fresher concerns about what, precisely, could spell our doom. At every turn in a bookstore aisle, you’re increasingly likely to stumble across a vision of our world, through the looking glass. Low-income families must be provided the wherewithal to make it through this unfolding nightmare.We may or may not be living in a dystopian age, but we are certainly living in an age of dystopias. In concert with provincial dispensations, the government must devise a streamlined plan of action that also co-opts the private sector - including organisations already engaged in charitable work - so that efforts are not replicated and equitable distribution of relief goods is ensured. An intervention by the state is urgently required. In any case, the closure of markets and schools - places where hawkers tend to find customers - has already begun to impact the poor. However, there may come a point when the government decides it has no choice but to impose such a lockdown at least in some parts of the country. Such a drastic step, given the realities of Pakistan, would cause untold misery to the multitudes that survive on daily wages or those with small businesses dependent on a steady income to make ends meet. Rapid transmission of COVID-19 has been checked in China and South Korea through lockdowns. He must also explain why some of the measures that may temporarily cause major disruption in people’s social and spiritual routines are necessary in the present situation. Although Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation on Tuesday, there should be on his part more frequent communication with the public to inform them of the steps his government is taking in conjunction with the provinces. In a society whose bonds are already frayed through divisive narratives, a national emergency such as this unless handled intelligently can exacerbate pre-existing cleavages. While Sindh has shown itself to be commendably responsive to the multi-faceted challenge posed by COVID-19, and KP has begun rolling out a coherent strategy, there is on the federal level a sense of disjointedness, a perceptible lack of direction. At the moment, there is a discrepancy between the numbers of confirmed cases released by the Control and Command Centre set up to deal with the crisis and those given by provincial governments, which are possibly more up to date. It is a moment that calls for our leadership to rise above their differences and formulate a coordinated response that can make efficient and judicious use of available resources. This is no time for politics or platitudes. ![]() That number is bound to rise, perhaps exponentially, with each passing day. Last week, however, we entered the next stage of this pandemic when the first case of community transmission was confirmed in Karachi. As is the case with most of the confirmed cases in Pakistan, they both had a recent travel history. ![]() The deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and, contrary to what appears to be the general pattern of fatalities worldwide, the individuals were well under 60 years of age. PAKISTAN arrived at a grim, if inevitable, milestone on Wednesday in its battle against COVID-19 when two of those known to be infected succumbed to the disease.
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