Sayed Zulfi Bukhari repudiated slur that he or any other PTI leader used political influence to allow the thousands of Shia pilgrims in Pakistan.
He denied that he or any other PTI leader used political influence on the Balochistan government to allow the thousands of Shia pilgrims to enter Pakistan through the Taftan border without completing the 14-day quarantine process in Iran.
2/2 Your feeds & shows would find better use for national coherence on #COVID awareness during this crisis. And if you’re still adamant ..don’t worry your divisiveness won’t deter me or the gov in fighting this global crisis
— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) March 17, 2020
He outrightly rejected the allegations in a tweet and slammed the miscreants for inflaming unnecessary controversy at a time of national emergency. The rumors emerged after cases of coronavirus surged exponentially in Pakistan.
Several pilgrims were tested positive for the coronavirus after they returned homes following a mandatory 14-day quarantine stay in the tent city in Taftan.
“To all the ‘so-called’ journos that are lying based on their personal agendas: no influence was used by me or any other PTI leader – which isn’t even under federal control,” the special assistant said in a series of tweets.
Sayed Zulfi Bukhari denied that he urged chief minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan to allow the entry of Shia pilgrims in Pakistan without any screening tests and health reports.
Also, he urged the media to play a responsible role to mitigate the crisis. “There’s a time & place for yellow journalism antics & this isn’t one,” he said.
Rumormongers accused Sayed Zulfi Bukhari of not letting the return of Pakistani students stuck in China but favoring the return of pilgrims of a particular sect because of his association with that sect.
Jam Kamal’s rebuttal
Amid all the mayhem, CM Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan jumped in to offer his clarification on the fiasco. He voluntarily participated in a talk show on SAMAA TV and asserted that Pakistan was forced to allow the entrance of Shia pilgrim from Pakistan-Iran border in Taftan after Iranian authorities had refused to accommodate and keep these pilgrims in quarantine.
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He said had they not allowed the entry of these pilgrims they would have illegally entered Pakistan from other points on the 500-600Kms porous Iran-Pakistan border. In that situation, they would have dispersed in the whole country and it would have become difficult for the government to track the records of all the Pakistani-Shia pilgrims.
Did viral came from zaireen from Taftaan or zaireen of Iran?https://t.co/HOgw4wSdDC
— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) March 17, 2020
He also posted a video on his Twitter account and detailed that since Taftan is an underdeveloped border area, it does not have the facility of well-equipped hospitals.
Or it has stopped the virus reaching to millions?
Quarantine at taftaan restricted and limited people and made all of us know each areas people there
If set loose when no provinces had any idea and facilitation for quaranteene..imagine what could have happened!@KhurramHusain https://t.co/r0KFUsTINH
— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) March 17, 2020
He said unlike Sukkur, Taftan also does not have 1000-room buildings hence they created a temporary tent city for 5000 people in a desert.
He said from keeping the pilgrims in a tent city for 14-day quarantine they safely handed over them to the headquarters of their provinces.
sensibility and authenticity of facts be put in place.https://t.co/OhSjvXr9s3
— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) March 17, 2020
In a series of tweets, he busted the negative propaganda that emerged after a score of Shia pilgrims coming from Taftan tested positive for pandemic coronavirus.
Some 10 portable tents are shown in media and 5000 people being adjusted and catered is put behind
Apnee siyasat meherbani Taftan aur Balochistan par nahee balqay kahee aur larain
Sukhar city 1000 labor apartments may not be compared to Chagi desert baren spaces@nadeemmalik pic.twitter.com/9NNIBDVTnr
— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) March 17, 2020
Taftaan border was never opened…all zaireen were kept in pakistan house, checked, unregistered in Newly made tents for 5000 people…non was allowed to leave untill they had to do 14 days….@arsched https://t.co/OtcndxHOLd pic.twitter.com/RRZvLMHJjG
— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) March 17, 2020