ISLAMABAD: Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate landed in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Friday, after turbulence forced the couple to stay overnight in Lahore in a change to their tightly-choreographed itinerary.
On Thursday an RAF Voyager carrying the royals, who are on a four-day official visit to Pakistan, aborted landings in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi due to severe turbulence.
The couple stayed at Lahore’s Pearl Continental Hotel on Thursday evening, along with journalists, Kensington Palace staff and foreign ministry officials.
Thursday’s aborted flight was described by a Reuters photographer on board as one of the most turbulent he had experienced in 25 years of regular flying, although the couple told reporters after returning to Lahore they were “fine.” Friday’s flight passed off without incident.
A planned visit to a Pakistan military post in the west of the country on Friday morning was canceled, but the couple will visit an army canine training school in Islamabad before departing from the country later in the day.
Prince William and wife Kate land in Pakistan capital after aborted flight
Prince William and wife Kate land in Pakistan capital after aborted flight
- Bad weather made the couple to stay overnight in Lahore that changed their tightly-choreographed itinerary
- Planned visit to a Pakistan military post in the country's west on Friday morning was cancelled
Pakistan eyes collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China for local vaccine production
- Pakistan last week held talks with a visiting Saudi delegation on partnering to manufacture vaccines locally
- Government working on “war footing” to ensure local production of vaccines by 2030, says health minister
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is eyeing collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and China to produce vaccines locally, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Thursday, adding that Islamabad was exploring both government-to-government and business-to-business opportunities in this regard.
Kamal told Arab News last week that Islamabad was “very close” to an agreement with Saudi Arabia that would enable Pakistan to manufacture vaccines locally. The development took place as a Saudi delegation, led by the Kingdom’s senior adviser to the minister of industry Nizar Al-Hariri, arrived in Pakistan last week and held talks with health officials on a partnership with Pakistan which would enable it to manufacture vaccines locally.
The efforts take place amid Pakistan’s push to strengthen its health security and industrial capacity. The country of more than 240 million currently imports all vaccines used in its national immunization campaigns, relying heavily on international partners to help cover the costs.
“Mustafa Kamal said Pakistan is exploring collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and China for local production of these vaccines,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Kamal said the government is working on a “war footing” to ensure the local production of vaccines before 2030.
The health minister reiterated that Pakistan has the potential to locally produce raw materials of the 13 vaccines that it provides free of cost. He added that the government will also export vaccines once it starts producing them at home.
“Mustafa Kamal said the government is exploring both government-to-government and business-to-business collaboration to achieve our objectives in vaccine production,” Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan’s health ministry has said it imports all 13 vaccines that it provides masses for free at an annual cost of about $400 million.
International partners currently cover 49 percent of these costs, with the remainder borne by the Pakistani government. This external support, Kamal has warned, is expected to end after 2030.
