The donations of medical supplies from Alibaba Group arriving from China in Pakistan became a matter of contention between the PPP and PTI.
Another plane carrying much-needed medical supplies has just landed. These supplies arrived in Pakistan, where they will be transported and distributed throughout the country by the National Disaster Management Authority. @Foundation_Ma #AlibabaFoundation pic.twitter.com/kRwQSJEKD0
— Alibaba Group (@AlibabaGroup) March 25, 2020
While PTI claims a large number of medical supplies from Ali Baba intended for Pakistan will be distributed equally among the provinces, the leadership of PPP claims the medical supplies were purely intended for Sindh but they will be sharing the medical supplies will other provinces- Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Mr. Li Bijian, Consul General of China to Karachi, Mr. Syed Murad Ali Sha, CM of Sindh, representatives from NDMA and @darazpk received medical supplies donated by @JackMa Foundation and Alibaba Foundation at Karachi airport. #ChinaPakSolidarity #COVID_19 @ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/JLLtCU7vn2
— Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) March 25, 2020
The contrasting claims of PPP and PTI created controversy at a time when national coordination and unity are incredibly needed to fight the pandemic coronavirus in the country.
CM Sindh has decided that out of the 500,000 KN95 masks received from China earlier today, #Sindh will keep 200,000 masks and the remaining will be distributed amongst Punjab, KP, Baluchistan, AJK & GB Governments. Yes together we can
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) March 25, 2020
Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari thanked Jack Ma, owner of Alibaba, for gifting medical equipment including 450,000 face masks including 50,000 N95 masks to Sindh.
Yesterday, a plane carrying medical supplies arrived in Karachi that was received by Mr. Li Bijian, Consul General of China to Karachi, Mr. Syed Murad Ali Sha, CM of Sindh, representatives from NDMA donated by JackMa foundation and Alibaba Foundation at Karachi Airport.
Also, Murtaza Wahab also tweeted that, “CM Sindh has decided that out of the 500,000 KN95 masks received from China earlier today, #Sindh will keep 200,000 masks and the remaining will be distributed amongst Punjab, KP, Baluchistan, AJK & GB Governments. Yes, together we can.”
Read more: Fawad Chaudhry leads Pakistan in a global fight against coronavirus
Hence, PTI leadership strongly protested the claims of the Sindh government. Dr. Shahbaz Gill slammed the Murtaza Wahab and PPP leadership tweaking the facts regarding the arrival of medical supplies from China.
Let's all PLAY FOR PAKISTAN hand in hand but not petty politics
Do check with NDMA https://t.co/MXqwx6GYXq
— Awab Alvi (@DrAwab) March 25, 2020
He said that the supplies arrived from China for the National Disaster Management Authority to distribute the media supplies accordingly across the entire country.
The PTI leadership also referred to the tweet of Alibaba Company asserting that the medical supplies were handed over to the NDMA that will be distributed across the country.
Meanwhile, to counter these assertions, an alleged letter from China had been released on social media inviting CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah to come to receive the donations from China.
To the people getting all twisted over Sindh getting masks, you all seem educated enough to read. Here, read this 👇 so that I dont have to read your misinformed outrage. pic.twitter.com/OtwuAHfEaa
— Zebunnisa Burki (@zburki) March 26, 2020
However, the confusion looms as for whom the medical supplies from Alibaba were originally intended for.