US, Germany supply 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan
US, Germany supply 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan/node/1991466/pakistan
US, Germany supply 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan
Pakistani official (2R) receives the coronavirus vaccine from Germany’s envoy to Pakistan, Bernhard Schlagheck (2L), in a ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 22, 2021. (@GermanyinPAK)
ISLAMABAD: The United States and Germany have collectively supplied 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan under the COVAX program, announced the diplomatic missions of the two countries on Wednesday.
COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, is a framework for the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines among smaller or economically vulnerable nations which is supported by the World Health Organization.
The US, which also donated COVID-19 vaccines to Pakistan in the past, said it had contributed five million more Pfizer doses on Tuesday.
“Each vaccination brings us one step closer to ending the pandemic and being able to gather safely together in the new year,” the US embassy in Islamabad announced in a Twitter post. “Get vaccinated. Stay safe.”
We delivered an additional 5M doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan via #COVAX yesterday. Each vaccination brings us one step closer to ending the pandemic and being able to gather safely together in the new year. Get vaccinated. Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/0YjQtFqSKi
Germany’s envoy to Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck also said on the social media platform his country had handed over seven million more vaccine doses to Pakistan, taking its overall contribution to about 63 million.
He said Germany’s decision help Pakistan with the coronavirus vaccines was a testimony of the strong friendship between the two countries.
“Each of us is safe only once everybody is safe,” he added.
Handover of another 7 million vaccine doses via #COVAX to #Pakistan (puts #Germany in top group of donors, together about 63 million doses delivered). Testimony for strong #PakGermanDosti, but serves us all indeed. Each of us is safe only once everybody is safe! pic.twitter.com/GwL5R6BZ5N
According to Pakistan’s official statistics, the country has fully vaccinated 62,547,553 people since the beginning of the vaccination drive earlier this year.
The government has administered 144,064,235 doses of various vaccines in total, though so far 89,792,114 people have only received the first dose.
Pakistan wants to increase the pace of its immunization campaign amid a rising number of omicron coronavirus cases in the world.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (second right) meets the Qatari Emir Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (left) in Doha, Qatar, on February 24, 2026. (PID)
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
