ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health chief Dr. Faisal Sultan has said there is no evidence that a coronavirus variant presently wreaking havoc in India was present in Pakistan, local media reported on Monday.
For months now, nowhere in the world has been hit harder than India by the pandemic, as a new strain of the virus fueled a surge in infections that has risen to more than 400,000 daily. Daily deaths remain above 4,000.
Even with a downturn over the past few days, experts say there was no certainty that infections had peaked, with alarm growing both at home and abroad over the highly contagious B.1.617 variant first found in India.
“We don’t have documentation,” Faisal told a local newspaper when asked if the Indian variant was present in India. “Yet, to exclude anything in a country of 220 million is impossible.”
“We have reduced inbound air traffic by 80 percent and we are asking all passengers to get tested before boarding while they are also being tested on arrival,” the health chief said. “We are keeping those testing positive in quarantine to ensure the variant dubbed as triple mutant or Indian variant does not manage to get into Pakistan.”
Earlier this month, Thailand barred the entry of foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh in a bid to keep out the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus first found in India, its foreign ministry said. The measure followed the detection of the variant in two Thai nationals returning from Pakistan during testing conducted in government quarantine.
Pakistan had approached Thailand’s health authorities through the International Health Regulations mechanism to seek details of a family that Thai authorities claimed had contracted the Indian variant from Pakistan, Faisal said, but had not been provided any details so far.
Director General Health Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar also said the Indian variant had not reached Pakistan yet but warned that it was “just a matter of time” before it spread to most countries in the world, including Pakistan.
“We have not seen the triple mutant ... yet in Pakistan so far largely due to natural travel barrier,” Safdar said. “But risk is enormous as this variant has already spread to almost 50 countries, including our region. The pace at which it is spreading is alarming. For all countries, it’s just a matter of time.”
Several health experts are urging the government to ban all direct and indirect flights from the United Kingdom as well as Gulf states to prevent the entry of the Indian variant into Pakistan, which has been declared a ‘variant of concern’ and a global health risk by the World Health Organization.
No proof Indian COVID variant present in Pakistan — health chief
https://arab.news/85sqz
No proof Indian COVID variant present in Pakistan — health chief
- All inbound and outbound travelers being tested to prevent spread of India variant to Pakistan, Dr. Faisal Sultan says
- Director General Health says “just a matter of time” before Indian variant reaches most countries, including Pakistan
Government says Imran Khan’s ‘detailed’ medical report shared, family disputes claim
- Khan underwent an eye procedure last month, PTI says family was not informed
- Ex-PM’s sister says only brief notes provided despite Supreme Court assurance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government said on Friday a “detailed” medical report of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan had been shared with his family following directions from the prime minister’s office, even as Khan’s relatives disputed the claim and accused jail authorities of withholding information.
Concerns over Khan’s health were raised by his family and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party last month after the government confirmed he was taken from prison to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a brief eye procedure. Authorities said at the time that Khan’s condition was stable and the treatment routine, while PTI leaders said they were not informed in advance and questioned the lack of transparent medical disclosure.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the report was prepared by PIMS and had been forwarded to the prison authorities and handed over to Khan’s family.
“A letter was written by the Leader of the Opposition to the Prime Minister and PTI Leaders also approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding medical check up of Mr. Imran Ahmad [Khan] Niazi who is serving his sentences in Central Jail Rawalpindi (Adiala),” he said in a social media post on X.
“On directions from Prime Minister’s Office, a detailed report has been sent by Executive Director PIMS Hospital to the Superintendent of Central Jail Rawalpindi (Adiala) which has been handed over to the family,” he added.
However, the former prime minister’s sister Aleema Khan said they had not received complete medical reports, despite assurances given by the country’s top judge.
“The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court committed last Friday that Imran Khan’s medical reports would be provided to his family,” she said on X. “Today, when the jail superintendent appeared before the ATC [Anti-Terrorism Court], only two brief notes were submitted.”
She said the government’s conduct reflected a disregard for the court’s order, urging the Chief Justice of Pakistan to issue a contempt notice to the jail authorities and ensure that Khan’s medical reports were handed over to his family without further delay.
The dispute has renewed tensions surrounding Khan’s incarceration, which has become a flashpoint in Pakistan’s deeply polarized politics.
Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been in prison since August 2023 following multiple convictions that he and his party say are politically motivated, a charge the government denies.
