ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister of Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, said on Saturday the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was playing with people’s lives by continuing with their Lahore rally on Sunday, despite the country gripped by a second wave of the coronavirus.
The PDM is an 11-party opposition alliance that is holding nationwide rallies as part of a campaign to oust the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan and call for early elections.
“Playing with the lives of citizens in the current coronavirus situation is not reasonable and cannot be permitted,” Usman Buzdar said, while speaking to media.
“You cannot justify this kind of gathering... they are not being held anywhere in the world. What is the emergency?” he continued.
As of Saturday, Lahore’s positivity rate for COVID-19 is over 4.5 percent. Out of a total 71 deaths over the last 24 hours, Punjab had the highest rate of fatalities in the country.
The National Counter Terrorism Authority has also warned of a possible terrorist attempt in Lahore on Sunday.
The rally will be held in the grounds of the historic Minar-e-Pakistan monument. Arrangements for the gathering are underway and various roads and neighborhoods in the area have been sealed off for security, local media reported.
The PDM has said the rally on Sunday will mark the end of the alliance campaign’’s first phase.’
On Friday, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ruled out dialogue with the government.
Punjab chief Buzdar says opposition 'playing with lives' ahead of Lahore rally
https://arab.news/7nnk8
Punjab chief Buzdar says opposition 'playing with lives' ahead of Lahore rally
- Lahore’s COVID-19 positivity rate is over 4.5 percent
- National Counter Terrorism Authority has warned of a possible terrorism attempt in Lahore on Sunday
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.
