Buzdar declines to implement NCOC directive on facemask wearing

The Punjab government in a rare disagreement with the federal government has declined to implement the policy regarding the mandatory wearing of facemasks for not having enough cops for the purpose, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar this time has opted to disagree with the policy of the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC).

The TV channel reported that the Punjab government has decided to defer the implementation of imposing fines on not wearing facemasks due to a lack of law enforcers. 

Additionally, Buzdar-led Punjab government has also deferred the implementation because no law has now been existed in the province to impose such fines on citizens.

Reliable sources confirmed that the Punjab Anti-Corona Committee questioned who would implement the policy of mandatory facemask wearing. The meeting was chaired by Punjab CM Usman Buzdar, the TV channel quoting, its sources said. The provincial government has expressed its concerns on the NCOC policy.

Top police officials of Punjab said they do not have enough police force to implement such daunting tasks that will monitor and impose fines on citizens for not wearing facemasks.

The sources claimed that the police administration argued whether they will perform their primary duty of maintaining law and order or will slap fines on the citizens.

After further deliberations, the Punjab Anti-Corona Committee members also raised questions about who would pay the fine on the spot and at which bank account the fine money will be deposited.

It also emerged that the Punjab government said it has not enough funds to provide masks to each and every citizen of the province.

The NCOC is chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar while the Punjab Anti-Corona Committee is chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. The disagreement between the federal government and the Punjab government has rarely been witnessed in the past.