Who she speaks for
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, according to Daily Jang (16 March 2020), stated that she is neither a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) spokesperson and nor does she wish to defend any steps taken by the organization. She noted that she was only fulfilling her official responsibilities and that one media house was engaged in accusations against the government through advertisments (ishtehar-bazi). She went on to claim that there was no government policy of pushing GEO against the wall and that it was baseless propaganda to claim that the government wanted to shut down the network or move it to the later numbers on cable TV.
No worries
Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar, according to Daily Express (18 March 2020), stated that the provincial government was in full harmony with the federal government on the issue of the Coronavirus pandemic and that no decisions will be taken that lead to fear or anxiety (khauf o heras paida karnay waalay faislay).
As Rome burns...
Daily Jang (18 March 2020) reported on the war of words heating up between the United States and China over the Coronavirus pandemic. President Trump noted that since the outbreak broke out in China first, he would insist on calling it the “Chinese virus”, while China has suggested that the US military unleashed the virus.
Warm welcome
Federal Science Minister Fawad Chaudhry was quoted by Daily Express (22 March 2020) as saying that as soon as flights to Pakistan were halted, Shehbaz Sharif asked Marriyum Aurangzeb to start talking about his return to the country. The Minister went on to wonder why they thought the Pakistani people were so foolish (pata nahin ye Pakistan ke loogon ko itna bewaquf kyun samajhtay hein). He is also quoted as having tweeted that Shehbaz Sharif be quaranted in Mayo Hospital, Lahore, for 14 days after his arrival so that he understands the importance of hospitals.