Two members of National Assembly test positive for coronavirus

ISLAMABAD: With a session of the National Assembly slated to get underway on Monday, two members of the lower house of Parliament have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, ARY News reported.

Sources relayed Syed Mahmood Shah and Gul Zafar Khan – a PTI MNA from Bajaur – tested positive for the infection that has thus far infected about 29,500 people and killed hundreds across the country.

Swabs of the affected lawmakers and others were taken by a special team of the National Institute of Health on May 8.

All members of the upper and lower houses of Parliament were instructed to take a test for the deadly virus before attending their scheduled sessions so as to avert a potential risk of the spread of the infection among the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, Senators Raja Zafarul Haq, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Saleem Zia, Abdul Qayum and others tested negative.

It merits mentioning that Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari earlier today confirmed to have tested positive for the coronavirus and said he has isolated himself.

“I had got tested for coronavirus upon return from Dubai on April 28 and was declared negative. I took another test after a week, which turned out to be positive for the disease,” Mazari said.

Earlier, on April 30, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “My coronavirus test has come back positive. I have quarantined myself in my house,” Qaiser tweeted.