A file photo of Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday went into a self-imposed quarantine for at least five days, a day after returning from a two-day visit to China. According to news reports, Qureshi and the high-profile Pakistan delegation were tested negative for COVID-19 upon their departure and return, but the foreign minister still decided to go in quarantine.
Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi, along with Qureshi and Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asaf Umar were on a visit to Beijing on the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has called for unity with the responsibility to win the war against coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a speech on Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister said, "We need to protect ourselves and others to prove that we are a responsible nation. Do not panic. The government will try its best to control the disease, provide medical facilities and ensure supplies."
Khan told people to support the government in its efforts against the disease by staying at home to judge themselves, avoiding attending public gatherings, taking other precautionary measures and going for medical checkup only if they have COVID-19 symptoms, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Prime Minister also urged the people to learn from China in combating the disease and hailed China's successful efforts to control the virus spread, saying, "At the time when the number of cases are increasing in the world, the affected people are decreasing in China, which is very good news."
"We are in constant contact with China since the outbreak. China is already helping us, but we need to learn from it even more," said Khan.
The country has recorded at least 235 positive patients of COVID-19 so far.
(with IANS inputs)
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