ISLAMABAD: Zahid Iqbal, 43, has become the first Pakistani living in China to receive the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, Pakistani state news agency APP reported on Thursday.
Pakistan said last month it would purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Chinese manufacturer Sinopharm in the first official confirmation of a vaccine purchase by the South Asian country as it battles a second wave of infections.
This week, Dr. Faisal Sultan, the de facto health minister of Pakistan, said he was hopeful the country would receive the first batch of the vaccine from Sinopharm in “early February.”
Iqbal told Chinese media he received his second dose on January 10 and felt “excited," APP reported.
“At first, the news of being vaccinated was scary but after some research I decided to go for it,” said Iqbal, who hails from Sahiwal and has worked as head of curriculum and sciences at an international school in Shanghai for 18 years.
There was a long queue at the vaccination centre but “after going through different steps, I got vaccinated which felt very normal," Iqbal said.
"We were told to fill a medical consent form in case of any reactions like muscular pain, fatigue, or fever in a day or two after being vaccinated,” he added, saying he was kept under observation for 30 minutes in case of an immediate adverse reaction.
Iqbal lauded the Chinese government's prevention and control tactics during the pandemic, saying it had handled the crisis "smoothly.”
First Pakistani receives Sinopharm vaccine in China
https://arab.news/8berz
First Pakistani receives Sinopharm vaccine in China
- Zahid Iqbal hails from Sahiwal and has worked as head of curriculum and sciences at a school in Shanghai for 18 years
- He received his second dose of the virus on January 10, says is excited and satisfied with the vaccination process
Pakistan alleges India behind Balochistan attacks that killed 18 civilians, 15 troops
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accuses India of planning coordinated attacks across Balochistan this week
- Military says it killed 133 militants on Friday and Saturday in separate operations across various areas in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi this week alleged that India was behind the recent coordinated attacks in the southwestern Balochistan province that the military says killed 18 civilians and 15 troops, vowing to go after those responsible for the violence.
Pakistan’s military said on Saturday that it had killed 133 militants in the past two days in separate operations in Balochistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 41 militants were killed in operations in Panjgur and Harnai areas on Friday while 92 militants, including three suicide bombers, were killed on Saturday as security forces repelled coordinated attacks on civilians and law enforcement personnel in Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump and Pasni areas.
It added that 18 civilians, including women, children, elderly people and laborers, were killed in the attacks in Gwadar and Kharan, while 15 security personnel were also killed during clearance operations and armed standoffs.
“India is behind these attacks,” Naqvi said during a joint press conference in Quetta late Saturday night with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. “I can tell you for sure that India planned these attacks along with these terrorists.”
He vowed that Islamabad would go after the militants who carried out these attacks and their “masters.”
“At this time it is very necessary that the world knows that the main country that is behind terrorism is India, who not only financially supports terrorists but also supports them in their planning and strategy as well,” the minister said.
In its statement on Saturday, the ISPR said the attacks were launched by “Indian sponsored Fitna al Hindustan,” a reference the military frequently uses for the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militant group.
The BLA also issued a statement on Saturday, saying it had launched what it called “Operation Herof 2.0,” claiming responsibility for attacks in multiple locations across Balochistan.
The military had said intelligence reports have confirmed the attacks were orchestrated and directed by militant leaders operating from outside Pakistan who were in direct communication with attackers during the assaults.
Pakistan has frequently blamed India for supporting militant attacks in Balochistan and its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, charges that New Delhi has vehemently denied.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has faced a decades-long insurgency by separatist militant groups, with Pakistani authorities frequently accusing foreign actors of backing the violence. India has repeatedly denied such allegations.
