Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan has said that no action and decision of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) can be challenged at any forum including high courts and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Answering various questions asked by the members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations, here on Friday, during a meeting of the committee, which was held under the Chairmanship of Khalid Hussain Magsi, the SAPM appreciated the efforts of the NCOC in dealing with the coronavirus.

Answering a question raised by Dr Shazia Sobia regarding the need of establishing the NCOC, despite the fact the country has National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at the federal level, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) at the provincial level, and District Disaster Management Authorities (DMMAs) at district level to deal with the pandemic and other natural calamities, the SAPM and the Secretary Health said that dealing with the Covid-19 situation was beyond the reach of the NDMA and PDMAs.

Member Committee Dr Shazia repeated her question many times, saying that at the end the situation has been tackled by the local authorities; therefore, she is still unable to understand the motives behind the creation of the NCOC.

This article was first published in Business Recorder on Jan 8, 2022.