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Pakistan records 453 COVID19 patients, Shia pilgrims returning from Iran in lurch

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | Mar 20, 2020, at 10:27 am

#COVID19 #Coronavirus #Pakistan #Isran #ShiaPilgrims

Islamabad/IBNS: Amid rising concerns that the Pakistan government is lacking in its efforts to implement proper medical amenities needed to combat Coronavirus outbreak in the country, the number of infected people in the nation touched 453 on Friday.

So far, two people died due to the disease in the South Asian nation.

Sindh region has reported the highest number of cases at 245.

Shia pilgrims and COVID-19

Meanwhile, reports are emerging that most of the COVID19 cases in Pakistan are the Shia pilgrims who are returning from Iran.

"It seems the there is intentional effort by the state not to provide adequate medical care to these Shia patients," some critics said.

"This way thousands of Shias can be eliminated (due to disease) and Pakistan can blame it on corona," they added.

US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells said the country will provide one million dollars to Pakistan under USAID programme to fight the virus outbreak.

The U.S.-Pakistan government partnership is helping fight #COVID19. The U.S. government is responding to #COVID-19 in #Pakistan with initial $1 million in @USAID_Pakistan funding to bolster monitoring & rapid response.
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) March 19, 2020

The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) tweeted: "The U.S.-Pakistan government partnership is helping fight #COVID19. The U.S. government is responding to #COVID-19 in #Pakistan with initial $1 million in @USAID_Pakistan funding to bolster monitoring & rapid response."

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