As well as the PDM rallies, other parties and organisations are also holding meetings, oblivious of the fact that these gatherings could cause the spread of coronavirus. The Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a radical religious party with followers from the Barelvi Sunni sect, staged one of its familiar ‘dharnas’ (protest sit-ins) recently at the Faizabad Bridge linking Islamabad with the twin city of Rawalpindi, as part of its protests against France for allowing and defending caricatures of Holy Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The huge gathering dispersed after talks with government ministers. A few days later, theTLP’s 54-year-old founder, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, died of natural causes and his mammoth funeral at Lahore apparently broke all records for funerals in the city, due to the surprisingly large number of mourners. Again, no SOPs were followed as the crowd mingled and stayed at the Iqbal Park venue for hours while waiting for Rizvi’s body to be brought there for funeral prayers.

The Covid-19 situation has taken a turn for the worse after the government claimed success in checking the pandemic during the first wave, through a raft of measures: smart or micro lockdowns, which targeted affected localities instead of closing down whole cities and towns; compensation to those most affected by loss of jobs and businesses;a massive awareness campaign; and investment in healthcare facilities to cope with the challenge. Indeed, the government was claiming credit for controlling the pandemic at a time when developed countries were suffering acutely from the disease.

However, the PTI government is now warning that the second wave is more dangerous and, therefore, a complete lockdown could be enforced in the affected areas if the SOPs are violated, despite government concerns that wholescale lockdowns could render more people jobless and further affect small businesses. Educational institutions, re-opened for a short period, were closed again on November 24 until January 10, 2021, and markets are regularly shut when Covid-19 cases are reported, despite protests by traders and shopkeepers.

By November 25, the total number of Covid-19 cases since the first outbreak of the pandemic early this year had reached 379,883, with the death toll at 7,744. The Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, during a November 24 press conference, warned that the country may face the worst coronavirus situation after two weeks if there was no adherence to preventive measures. He pointed out that previously, the daily death toll from the virus was only six to eight, but it has now risen to 48. The earlier peak in Pakistan’s Covid-19 cases was in June, then the numbers decreased amid government claims that it had effectively tackled the threat.