KARACHI: Pakistan’s Economic Affairs Division is finalizing around $600 million emergency package with international financial institutions to deal with COVID-19 outbreak across the country, Hammad Azhar, Minister for Economic Affairs, announced on Thursday.
“It includes reallocations and fresh financing. This will be in addition to local funding that is being made available,” he said in a tweet.
The minister said that emergency funds of approximately Rs.7.5 billion from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) backed National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) had been made available for the country’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
“This is in addition to the funds already made available by finance division for immediate use by authority. Reallocations from foreign funded projects also being diverted toward it,” he added.
World Bank and the ADB collectively pledged $588 million to help Pakistan fight the pandemic.
“Ministry of Planning cleared an amount of $238 million from World Bank funding and endorsed another $350 million funding offered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in support for the COVID-19 emergency response and to address the socio-economic disruption associated with it”, a statement issued by the ministry on Wednesday said.
Funds will be utilized for the establishment of isolation centers across Pakistan and purchase of additional equipment needed to fight the pandemic.
“We are working with government of Pakistan on that (funding) and decision would be announced next week”, Mariam Altaf, spokesperson of World Bank told Arab News on Thursday.
Total number of confirmed virus cases in Pakistan jumped to 384 on Thursday with two reported deaths.
The country’s southern Sindh province is the worst hit due to large number of Pakistani pilgrims returning from Iran. Tehran has reported 18,407 cases of so far with 149 new deaths.
“Federal Director General Health on Thursday informed that over one million people have been screened so far,” according to a statement issued after a special inter-provincial meeting for assessing the impact of coronavirus pandemic on Pakistan’s economy was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan, in Islamabad.
Pakistan has taken measures including partial lockdown in major cities and towns to combat the spread of virus. The south Asian country is planning to convert hotels and Karachi Expo center into isolation centers to accommodate the coronavirus positive patients, officials said.
“The Sindh government has also announced to set up isolation center at Karachi Expo Center and provide virus testing equipment to remote purposely set up centers”, Abdul Rasheed Channa, spokesman for Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, told Arab News.
“The World Bank has committed $10 million for Sindh to combat COVID-19 but it is not yet received as its approval is awaited from the executive board,” Channa said.
Planning ministry on Wednesday approved “Pakistan National Emergency Preparedness and response Plan for COVID-19” to address the pandemic.
The emergency project focuses on taking measures through additional resources for strengthening the integrated disease surveillance and response system across the country through establishing isolation rooms, ensuring availability of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) equipment and protective clothing for the health teams, timely diagnostics and procurement of equipment and ventilators for critical case management across the country.
“It also included establishment of a real time surveillance mechanism for early detection and embedding of prevention and control measures to halt/minimize local transmission”, planning ministry statement said.
Global institutions World Bank, ADB and IMF have announced $14 billion, $6.5 billion and $50 billion initial packages to support companies and countries in their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19.
Pakistan seeks $600 million aid to fight virus outbreak — minister
https://arab.news/8pjxt
Pakistan seeks $600 million aid to fight virus outbreak — minister
- Screens 1 million suspects of coronavirus
- Considers converting hotels, expo center into quarantine facilities
Pakistani court sentences TLP leader for 35 years over incitement against ex-chief justice
- The case stems from a 2024 speech targeting former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa over a blasphemy ruling
- Conviction follows the government’s move to proscribe Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan after clashes with police this year
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court this week sentenced a leader of the religio-political party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to 35 years’ imprisonment on multiple charges for inciting hate against former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.
Peer Zaheer ul Hasan Bukhari made the remarks in a 2024 speech at the Lahore Press Club against the former chief justice for issuing a judgment in a case involving a man named Mubarak Sani under the blasphemy laws, a member of a minority religious community whose death sentence was overturned.
Authorities said Bukhari’s comments amounted to incitement to violence, after which police registered a case against him under various terrorism-related provisions as well as charges of inciting hatred.
The cleric was handed multiple jail terms on a range of charges, with the longest being 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, amounting to a total of 35 years.
“All the sections of imprisonment awarded to the convict shall run concurrently,” Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Arshad Javed said in a letter to the Kot Lakhpat Central Jail superintendent.
A collective fine of Rs600,000 ($,150) was also imposed on the TLP party leader under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The move follows Pakistan’s decision in October to ban the TLP and designate it a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act after violent clashes between its supporters and law enforcement in Punjab.
The unrest erupted as demonstrators attempted to travel from Lahore to Islamabad, saying they wanted to stage a pro-Palestine rally outside the US Embassy.
However, officials said TLP supporters were armed with bricks and batons, arguing their intention was to stir violence similar to earlier marches toward the federal capital.
The clashes between TLP supporters and police resulted in the deaths of five people, including two policemen, and injured more than 100 officers and dozens of protesters.
Led by Saad Hussain Rizvi, the TLP is known for its confrontational street politics and mass mobilizations.
Since its emergence in 2017, the party has repeatedly organized sit-ins and marches toward Islamabad, often triggering violent confrontations and prolonged disruptions on major routes to the capital.
