ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday urged the British-Pakistanis to help Pakistan amid the coronavirus crisis.
Speaking here to Britain-based Pakistanis through a video link, Qureshi said the British-Pakistanis should donate generously to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coronavirus fund.
“It will be very helpful if you donate generously. The whole world is locked down due to the coronavirus,” he said.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said the government was making efforts to ensure safe and regulated return of stranded Pakistanis abroad.
The FM said 20000 Pakistanis had so far been brought back from different countries. “About 2285 Pakistanis have been brought back from Britain through 24 flights,” he added.
The Foreign Minister said the government was aware of the problems of the stranded Pakistanis and “our missions abroad have been directed to fully look after them,”
He said apart from Pakistan International Airlines, the government was trying to avail the services of other airlines to accelerate the process of the return of the stranded Pakistanis. “An arrangement to this effect has been reached with Qatar,” he said.
Pakistani doctors and health workers in Britain and the United States, gf said, had made the nation proud.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said the way Pakistani doctors and medical workers had been working abroad, especially in the UK, was priceless.
Qureshi said that videos of these doctors had gone viral on the internet and people can be seen cheering for them. “I want to thank each and every one of you for putting your lives at risk and carrying out your duties,” he reiterated.
The minister said these times were tough not only for Pakistan but people across the world. “The virus is expected to peak between May and mid-June?” he warned, stating that this will not only affect people’s lives but also bring economic contraction.
He said during the pandemic, the world economy had contracted 3%, which meant a loss of trillions.
Qureshi said, “I saw a piece of news today that said that the US has had the biggest lay-off of employees in the last 50 years.”
He added that most of the industries, including hospitality and tourism, had been affected by the pandemic. “Pakistan has been fighting these issues as well,” Qureshi mentioned.
Separately, Foreign Minister Qureshi said the country’s Preparedness and Response Plan on COVID-19 would prove helpful in enhancing the testing capacity and setting up of new laboratories.
In a meeting with Planning Minister Asad Umer here yesterday, Qureshi said the plan launched on April 23 at international level would be a milestone in containing the spread of virus.
He said coronavirus had put negative impacts on the global financial situation, adding that developing countries like Pakistan were the most affected.
He said the step by the international community and monetary institutions to support weak economies was commendable.
Asad Umer lauded the efforts of Foreign Minister Qureshi in bringing back stranded Pakistanis and drawing the attention of international community towards the challenges faced by Pakistan during the current tough situation.