IOK lockdown must be lifted immediately: Pakistan at SAARC video conference on coronavirus
Dr Zafar Iqbal Mirza said Pakistan diagnosed cases have been isolated.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza represented Pakistan in video conference of leaders of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to chalk out a joint strategy for curbing the spread of coronavirus in the region.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina Wajid, Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and other South Asian leaders participated in the event.
Addressing the conference, Dr. Zafar Mirza, while shaking the conscience of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other heads of SAARC countries, said that the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir should be provided uninterrupted medical facilities. He also demanded India to end lockdown in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as transmission of information is essential to prevent spread of coronavirus.
Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Dr Zafar Mirza also called upon the South Asian nations that a calm, calculated, and deliberate response is need of the hour to fight coronavirus.
He said Pakistan was amongst the first few countries to undertake a joint evaluation of the state of preparedness to cope with health emergences in the context of international health regulations 2005.
Dr Zafar Iqbal Mirza said Pakistan diagnosed cases have been isolated and contacts are being traced proactively. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is personally overseeing these efforts.
Highlighting Pakistan’s response strategy, the Special Assistant said it has four pillars, which include governance and financing, prevention, mitigation, and communication.
He said we have decided to close all our educational institutions for three weeks, entire western border for two weeks, restrict international flights to three airports only and ban all large public gatherings, reinforced screening measures at the airports and at the ground processing.
He informed the participants that National Disaster Management Authority has been mandated and command and control centres have been established at federal and provincial level for effective coordination and surveillance at all levels.
Dr Zafar Iqbal Mirza said COVID-19 has been characterized as a global pandemic, but at the same time it is deemed controllable, provided timely and appropriate public health measures are put in place.
Dr Zafar Mirza said unprecedented challenge demands an unprecedented response and we must recognize that the national and local responses still remain the key and most critical.
