Joint efforts at SAARC-level to tackle virus to prove fruitful: SAPM Awan

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan says the prime minister’s aide on health Dr Zafar Mirza apprised SAARC leaders on the measures the government has taken to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Taking to Twitter, she said the World Health Organisation (WHO) lauded Pakistan’s measures against the infection.

SAPM Awan said Pakistan’s participation in the SAARC video conference on the coronavirus pandemic is a testimony to the fact that the country cares as much for the life and health of the people living in the region as its own.

She said Pakistan equally shares other countries’ concern about the infection.

Ms Awan stressed joint efforts from the SAARC platform to tackle the disease would prove fruitful in safeguarding a large part of the world population against the deadly infection.

The special assistant called for improving the people’s access to health facilities in occupied Kashmir.

She said the UN, WHO and other international organisations be allowed to play their role in safeguarding the Kashmiris’ right to life.

Earlier today, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza stressed the need for empowering the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) secretariat to act as a platform for regional efforts to combat the pandemic.

Speaking at a video conference of SAARC countries to discuss responses to the Covid-19 outbreak, Zafar Mirza proposed instituting exit screening by member states for travellers in the region, and instituting mechanisms for learning from the effective efforts of China in containment and control.