QUETTA: Health authorities in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province said on Wednesday 12 suspected cases of omicron coronavirus had been reported in Kalat, adding that the samples had been dispatched to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad to ensure their right diagnosis.
The omicron variant was first detected in South Africa and is said to be highly transmissible, causing severe infection among young people. Media reports indicate that the new form of virus has spread across 89 countries.
Pakistan reported its first omicron case in Karachi on December 13.
The provincial health department in Balochistan said the suspected patients from Kalat had a travel history to Hub which located right next to Karachi.
“We received 32 samples from Kalat for testing on December 15,” Dr. Naqib Niazi, head of COVID-19 operations in Balochistan, told Arab News. “Twelve patients, including a woman, exhibited signs of omicron. So, we sent their samples to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad for gene sequencing to confirm the presence of the variant among the suspected individuals.”
Niazi said the province did not have an advanced lab where new variants of the virus could be detected with certainty.
According to the World Health Organization, there is consistent evidence that omicron has a substantial growth advantage over delta and other coronavirus variants. The world health body has urged its member states to gear up their vaccination campaigns to prevent the spread of the new virus strain.
“Out teams visited the patients in the morning and found them in a stable condition,” Dr. Muhammad Noorzai, deputy district health officer in Kalat, told Arab News. “None of them had any signs of cough or illness, though the suspected patients have gone into self-quarantine. We have requested them to avoid meeting other people until we get the reports from NIH.”
According to the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the country’s top pandemic response body, Pakistan has reported 1,292,047 coronavirus cases with 28,892 related deaths since the emergence of COVID-19.
While Balochistan has reported 33,606 coronavirus cases, it has the lowest vaccination rate compared to other provinces.
“We recently launched a 10-day vaccination campaign in all 35 districts of the province to immunize as many people as possible.” Dr. Niazi said. “Kalat has the highest number of vaccinated people since 60 percent of its population has been immunized until now.”
Sardar Abdul Rehman Kethran, Balochistan administration’s spokesperson, told Arab News the government had been utilizing all available resources to improve the pace of its vaccination program in the entire province.
“We are trying to access people in every corner of Balochistan to carry forward the immunization campaign while utilizing all available resources,” he added.
Pakistan’s Balochistan province identifies 12 suspected omicron cases
https://arab.news/ze4nn
Pakistan’s Balochistan province identifies 12 suspected omicron cases
- Officials say samples of all suspected patients have been sent for gene sequencing to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad
- Pakistan reported its first omicron case on December 13 in the country’s most densely populated Karachi city
Pakistan stocks hit record as fertilizer sales jump, rate cut hopes build
- KSE-100 jumps 1.5 percent to close above 179,000 points for the first time
- Stocks start 2026 on a strong note amid broad-based institutional buying
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani stocks extended their rally on Friday, with the benchmark index closing above the 179,000-point mark for the first time, driven by strong fertilizer sales data and expectations of further monetary easing by the central bank.
The KSE-100 index rose 2,679.44 points, or 1.52 percent, to close at 179,034.93, compared with its previous close of 176,355.49, according to data from the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).
Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities, said buying interest picked up ahead of key corporate earnings due next week, supported by easing inflationary pressures and improving sector-specific data.
“Rupee gains, strong fertilizer sales growth of 34 percent year-on-year in December 2025 and expectations of further policy easing by the State Bank of Pakistan, after headline inflation slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year, acted as key triggers for bullish activity at the Pakistan Stock Exchange,” he told Arab News.
Fertilizer sales in Pakistan have shown mixed trends in recent months, with overall offtake affected by weak farm economics and seasonal factors. While urea sales declined in some periods, December data showed a sharp rebound, helping lift investor sentiment in the sector.
This has supported fertilizer stocks on the PSX, including Fauji Fertilizer Company, Engro Fertilizers and Fatima Fertilizer, which continue to draw interest due to their market dominance and dividend payouts.
Samiullah Tariq, head of research and development at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company Limited, said investors were positioning for another rate cut amid improving macroeconomic indicators.
“Expectations of another rate cut, strong macroeconomic fundamentals and better corporate results are driving the market,” he said.
Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5 percent last month, surprising markets after maintaining rates unchanged in its previous four policy meetings. Consumer price inflation eased to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December, while prices declined on a monthly basis.
Friday’s close capped a strong start to 2026 for the PSX, with broad-based institutional buying lifting major sectors and reinforcing investor confidence at the beginning of the year.
