LAHORE - Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Mohammad Mazari has been tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks after he returned from Dubai.

The deputy speaker took to twitter on Sunday to announce about his illness saying he had gone to self-isolation after being tested positive for the coronavirus. Dost Mazari said he was tested negative on his return from abroad [April 28], but a second test [conducted on May 4] revealed he was carrying the deadly virus. He said he was not having any symptoms of the disease as yet. 

Sources said that on his return from Dubai, the deputy speaker avoided the mandatory two-day quarantine at the airport using his political influence and later also chaired a meeting of the Punjab Assembly’s business advisory committee last week.

In a related development, six employees of Punjab Assembly have also been tested positive for the deadly virus. A sergeant-at-arms at Punjab Assembly and two security officers were among those affected by the virus. A total of 400 assembly employees have been tested for the COVID-19. Health department released test results of 200 employees out of which six were found to be active carriers of the disease. Results of remaining 200 employees were still awaited. Also, following this development, the fate of ongoing Punjab Assembly session would be decided on Monday (Today).