ISLAMABAD – After the coronavirus cases reported in the Indian OccupiedJammu and Kashmir (IOJK), Pakistan on Sunday demanded India to liftlockdown from the territory to enable the containment and relief efforts inview of health emergency.
“It is a matter of concern that COVID-19 has been reported from Jammu andKashmir and in view of a health emergency, it is imperative that alllockdown in the territory must be lifted immediately,” Special Assistant tothe Prime Minister and Minister of State for Health Dr. Zafar Mirza saidaddressing a video conference of South Asian Association for RegionalCooperation (SAARC) hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chalkout a plan against Covd-19.
Besides SAPM Zafar Mirza, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,Maldives’ President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP SharmaOli, Bhutan’s premier Lotay Tshering, Bangladeshi Prime Minister SheikhHasina, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also participated in the videoconference.
Dr Mirza said with over 155,000 infections, 5833 deaths and 138 countriesinvolved, no nation and no region on earth could afford to be unresponsiveto the prevailing situation.
“Pakistan shares common concern over the potential of COVID-19 affectingSouth Asia. All our countries have confirmed cases. There is no room forany complacency. While hoping for the best we have to be prepared for theworst,” he said.
Among other measures, he proposed instituting exit screening by memberstates for travelers in the region, and instituting mechanisms for learningfrom the effective efforts of China, a SAARC Observer State, in containmentand control.
He called upon the South Asian nations for a calm, calculated, anddeliberate response to fight coronavirus but strongly advised against panic.
He highlighted Pakistan’s approaches and responses to the pandemic,underscored that Pakistan had been engaged in containment efforts from theoutset of the outbreak.
Pakistan’s proactive strategy and containment efforts had been recognizedand commended by the WHO, he added.
Dr Mirza said the diagnosed cases in Pakistan had been isolated andcontacts were being traced proactively.
He said being personally overseen by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’sresponse strategy had four pillars including governance and financing,prevention, mitigation, and communication.
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“Our National Security Committee met on 13 March, for the first time on anational health issue, and has decided to take further steps to contain thespread,” he added.
“We have been matching our measures to real-time threat assessments while,we have stressed the need for caution and strongly advised against panic,”Dr Mizra said.
He told the eight-nation body that Pakistan had decided to close all theeducational institutions for three weeks, entire western border for twoweeks, restrict international flights to three airports only and ban alllarge public gatherings.
He said COVID-19 had been characterized as a global pandemic, but at thesame time it was deemed controllable, provided timely and appropriatepublic health measures were put in place.
He said effective coordination at all levels was deemed criticallyimportant. “The pandemic forces us to think not in terms of nations andstates, but as a collective.”
The challenge at hand, demands sagacity, vision and synergy, he added.He underscored the need to empower and mandate the SAARC Secretariat to actas a platform for regional efforts to combat the pandemic.
He reiterated Pakistan’s earlier proposal of hosting SAARC HealthMinisters’ Conference at the earliest opportunity.
Regarding the closure of Afghan border crossing pointed out by AfghanPresident Ashraf Ghani, Zafar Mirza said it was a temporary measure inlight of the WHO guidelines.
“In consultation with WHO, we have been taking steps to restrict movementto and from the affected areas, regulate lights, institute detectionmeasures at entry points, and establish quarantine controls at bordercrossings,” he added.
