Pakistan PM Imran Khan expresses solidarity with India over Covid-19 situation

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed his nation's solidarity with India and extended his wishes for speedy recovery of those suffering from coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as India battles its second wave of the pandemic.

"I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of Covid-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together," Pakistan prime minister said in a tweet.

A philanthropic organisation Edhi Welfare Trust from Pakistan on Thursday had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending its help to India in fighting the second wave of Covid-19. The organisation said that it will send a fleet of 50 ambulances and support staff to help the nation.

Pakistan is also facing a surge in Covid-19 cases with several cities reporting a high positivity ratio. The Pakistan prime minister, who chaired the National Coordination Committee, the neighbouring country’s highest government body formed to tackle the pandemic, asked it to help police implement the social-distancing guidelines in the country.

"If our circumstances become the same as India’s then we will have to close down cities," Khan was reported as saying by news agency PTI. "If we (as a nation) don't take precautionary measures, we will have to impose a lockdown which will also affect our economy at a time when it is on the rise," Khan urged people to follow Covid-19 preventative measures in the country.

Pakistan reported its highest daily death toll since the onset of the pandemic on Saturday with 157 deaths taking the death toll to 16,999. It also reported 5,908 fresh cases which pushed its tally to 790,016.