ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Paul W. Jones has said that Washington stands by Islamabad in its efforts to combat coronavirus.

“Together we can stop the spread of this deadly disease to protect our loved ones and regain our prosperity and freedom,” he said.

In a letter to Senator retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum, he provided an update on the expanding Pakistan-US cooperation against coronavirus.

He said that after the United States designated Pakistan a priority country for emergency coronavirus assistance, the long-standing Pakistan-US health partnership started to train healthcare providers and procure urgently needed lab and emergency supplies with $2 million in the US funding. He said a second chapter in this cooperation had now been launched on top priorities identified by Pakistani authorities, with $8.4m in new contribution fully paid by the US government.

He said the United States would provide three mobile labs so that Pakistanis living in virus hotspots could be tested, treated and monitored to stop the spread of coronavirus.

“We will fund high-tech emergency operations centers in Islamabad, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan for disease monitoring and response. We will expand our partnership in training community healthcare workers to assist people in their homes to lessen the burden on hospitals. We have contributed $2.4 million for new life-saving activities in the Afghan refugee and host communities in Pakistan, administered by the United Nations Refugee Agency,” the letter reads.

In his response to the US ambassador’s letter, Senator Qayyum said it was undoubtedly a ruthless pandemic in which unfortunately the US was also so far worst affected.

“However, despite your own difficulties, your government has magnanimously not only declared Pakistan as a priority country for emergency assistance but also taken practical steps to expand Pakistan-US cooperation against this unprecedented global menace,” he said.

He also appreciated the US support for debt relief and other measures agreed by G20 nations and observed that the Islamic and Asian Development Banks should follow this example.

He drew the US attention to the plight of imprisoned Kashmiris in Srinagar.

He said the people of occupied Kashmir were anxiously looking towards the UN and the US for support and assistance strictly within the ambit of UN charter, its resolutions and international humanitarian laws and Geneva conventions.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2020