Punjab government rejects Hamid Mir's tweet

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 29 March 2020

The Punjab government has refuted claims made by Hamid Mir regarding COVID-19 cases among the Tableeghi Jamaat. Officials stress the need for responsible actions during the health crisis.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—The Punjab government has rejected a tweet by Geo News presenter Hamid Mir in which he claims that the provincial government was not coming clean on the number of COVID-19 cases among the Tableeghi Jammat Markaz in Raiwind.

In his tweet in Urdu, Mir said that the Punjab government was informed about many positive cases in the headquarters of the Tableeghi Jammat on March 24. Still, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar ignored this information.

Mir also attached a video of the meeting where Buzdar was being informed about the COVID cases among the followers of Tableeghi Jammat.

In its tweet, the Punjab government said: "The content of video and the wording used in this tweet of @HamidMirPAK are not the same."

It added that since last week, "Tableeghi Marakiz" have been declared quarantines, and people are being tested.

The tweet called for responsible behavior at this critical juncture. "In this national health emergency we expect responsible behaviour from all sections of society."

KEY POINTS:

• Hamid Mir tweeted about undetected COVID-19 cases in Tableeghi Jamaat.
• Punjab government stated there is a discrepancy in Mir's claims and their actions.
• Tableeghi Markaz has been declared a quarantine zone.
• Testing for COVID-19 is being conducted in the area.
• The government urges all citizens to act responsibly during the health emergency.