Islamabad: Pakistan’s federal ministry of health said on Monday samples of two people who recently returned from the United Kingdom had come out positive for a new coronavirus variant that is believed to be more transmissible.
Last week, the ministry said it was evaluating five samples – two at the National Institute of Health and three at the Aga Khan University hospital in Karachi – to confirm the presence of the new UK coronavirus variant in Pakistan.
“This is in follow up to preliminary reports of the existence of this variant which have now been confirmed via whole-genome sequencing,” the ministry said, adding that two individuals who had visited the UK had caught the new variant.
Since the emergence of the new coronavirus strain in the UK last month, the ministry has required all inbound passengers from the UK to be tested for the virus before embarking on their journey to Pakistan and again upon arrival. The new virus variant has been detected in 31 other countries so far.
Pakistan is among a slew of nations that closed their borders to Britain last month. Others include India, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, Jordan and Hong Kong, which suspended travel for Britons after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a mutated variant of the virus, up to 70% more transmissible, had been identified in the country. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman also closed their borders completely.
Several other nations have suspended travel from Britain including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Israel and Canada — although scientists said the strain may already be circulating in countries with less advanced detection methods than the United Kingdom.
Most scientists say the new variant has rapidly become the dominant strain in cases of COVID-19 in parts of southern England, and has been linked to an increase in hospitalization rates, especially in London and in the adjacent county of Kent.
While it was first seen in Britain in September, by the week of December 9 in London, 62% of COVID-19 cases were due to the new variant, compared to 28% cases three weeks earlier.
Pakistani health ministry officially confirms first two cases of UK coronavirus variant
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Pakistani health ministry officially confirms first two cases of UK coronavirus variant
- Last week, the ministry said it was evaluating five samples to confirm the presence of the new variant in Pakistan
- Pakistan is among a slew of countries that closed their borders to Britain last month to keep out the UK strain
Pakistan military chief vows ‘terrorists,’ facilitators of Balochistan attacks won’t be spared
- Separatist militants launched coordinated attacks in multiple Balochistan cities last week, killing over 30 civilians and 17 law enforcers
- Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir visits Quetta for detailed briefing on prevailing security, inquires after injured law enforcement personnel
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday vowed that “terrorists” and facilitators of last week’s Balochistan attacks will not be spared, praising security forces for maintaining law and order, the military’s media wing said.
The Pakistan military chief’s statement came after deadly coordinated attacks in Balochistan on Friday and Saturday. The attacks were claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group. Pakistani officials have said 197 militants have been killed since then, while 33 civilians and 17 law enforcement personnel lost their lives in the attacks.
Munir visited Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta where he received a detailed briefing on the prevailing security situation and military operations in the area following the attacks, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
“The COAS & CDF remarked that no terrorist and its facilitator will be spared and all will be dealt strictly as per law and that no one can rationalize violence and terrorism on any pretext,” the ISPR said.
“He appreciated the professionalism, valor, and sacrifices of officers and troops of all law enforcement agencies in thwarting nefarious anti-Pakistan designs and maintaining law and order.”
The military chief later visited the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Quetta to inquire about the health of the injured army, paramilitary Frontier Corps and police personnel.
Pakistan’s government has accused India of being involved in the Balochistan attacks, charges which New Delhi has dismissed as “baseless.”
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area, has long faced a separatist insurgency that has intensified in recent years. Militants frequently target security forces, government officials, infrastructure projects, foreigners and non-local workers.
The province holds vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons and is central to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Separatist groups such as the BLA accuse Islamabad of exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources while denying locals a fair share. Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership reject the claim and say they are investing in the province’s development.
