PM Imran says personally overseeing anti-virus efforts as Pakistan reports 5 new cases

Published March 14, 2020
Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday he will address the nation soon on coronavirus. — Photo courtesy: Radio Pakistan/File
Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday he will address the nation soon on coronavirus. — Photo courtesy: Radio Pakistan/File

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday made his first public statement on the coronavirus pandemic, telling the nation that he is "personally overseeing measures" to deal with the disease.

His statement came as Pakistan's tally of coronavirus cases rose to 33 on Saturday evening. The increase of five cases came as Sindh and Balochistan reported two new cases each while the first case in Islamabad was confirmed in a woman who arrived from the United States.

Read our live updates on the coronavirus here.

Taking to Twitter, the premier advised the public to follow safety instructions issued by the government regarding COVID-19.

"While there is a need for caution, there is no need for panic," he wrote, announcing that he will address the nation on the issue "soon".

The prime minister said the government remains alert to the dangers posed by the virus and has "put in place sufficient protocols for the safety and health of our people".

"The WHO (World Health Organisation) has commended our efforts as being amongst the best in the world," he noted.

On Friday, WHO Pakistan chief Dr Palitha Mahipala had said that Pakistan had formulated "one of world’s best national response programmes" against the coronavirus pandemic.

“Pakistan has timely come up with one of the world’s best National Response Programmes against COVID-19 and it is being implemented very effectively. Authorities are doing their job and now it is the responsibility of the people to follow the instructions," The News quoted him as saying.

The prime minister's remarks come a day after the National Security Committee (NSC) unveiled a national strategy for curbing the spread of novel coronavirus in Pakistan by restricting points of entry into the country and banning public gatherings.

The NSC, which is the highest forum for coordination on security issues, at its first-ever meeting on a health crisis decided to seal borders with Iran and Afgh­a­nistan, restrict international operations of airlines to three airports, shut down educational institutions, cinemas, theatres and marriage halls, and advised adjournment of civil cases in courts and change in hearing procedures for criminal cases.

Opinion

Editorial

IHK resolution
Updated 08 Nov, 2024

IHK resolution

If the BJP administration were to listen to Kashmiris, it could pave the way for the resumption of the political process in IHK.
Climate realities
08 Nov, 2024

Climate realities

THE Air Quality Index in Lahore once again shot past the 1,000-level mark on Wednesday morning, registering at an...
Rule by fear
08 Nov, 2024

Rule by fear

THE abduction of an opposition MNA, as claimed by PTI, is yet another grim episode in Pakistan’s ongoing crisis of...
Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...