ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday presided over a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad to deal with the challenge of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The meeting also reviewed various aspects of repatriating Pakistanis stranded in various Countries after the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
In his remarks at the meeting, the foreign minister said that our capacity to deal with the global pandemic of Coronavirus is gradually increasing.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that ban on incoming international flights was imposed to stop the possible arrival of Coronavirus into Pakistan.
وزیر خارجہ مخدوم شاہ محمود قریشی کی زیر صدارت، وزارت خارجہ میں کورونا وبائی چیلنج سے نمٹنے کے حوالے سے اعلیٰ سطحی اجلاس
اجلاس میں بیرونی ممالک میں وطن واپسی کے منتظر پاکستانیوں کی مرحلہ وار وطن واپسی کو ممکن بنانے کیلئے مختلف پہلوؤں کا جائزہ لیا گیا . pic.twitter.com/uQGbZWbPcC
— Team SMQ (@TeamSMQ) March 30, 2020
The foreign minister said that the meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) also held a consultation on the next course of action following the rehabilitation of international flights to Pakistan after April 4.
The Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza briefed the meeting on nature and risk assessment of the spread of Coronavirus in Pakistan.
Separately in a meeting with the UN Resident Coordinator Julien Frederic Morcom-Harneis in Islamabad, the foreign minister said that Pakistan is taking effective steps to tackle the Coronavirus challenge despite its limited resources.
The foreign minister said that COVID-19 has become a major threat to the world but developing Countries like Pakistan are facing severe economic difficulties in tackling this global pandemic.
The UN resident coordinator assured full support to Pakistan in developing comprehensive strategies to combat the virus.