ISLAMABAD           -            Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday held a telephonic conversation with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and discussed the latest developments regarding the coronavirus crisis.

Talking to Bill Gates over the phone Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan is making all efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic with a robust and coordinated response.

The Prime Minister emphasised that Pakistan is facing a dual challenge of overcoming the pandemic and saving people, particularly the most vulnerable segments of the population, from hunger due to lockdown.

The Prime Minister apprised Bill Gates regarding the US$ 8 billion package to support the affected people and businesses.  He said that timely steps taken by the government have helped a great deal to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.

During the conversation, the Prime Minister appreciated the support provided by the Gates Foundation and other international partners during the deadly outbreak and emphasised the continued urgency of the situation. Speaking on the occasion, Bill Gates commended Pakistan’s efforts in protecting the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable populations.

Bill Gates said that COVID-19 is a global threat and lauded Pakistan’s efforts in protecting the lives and livelihood of its people. Prime Minister Imran Khan and Bill Gates also discussed their shared priority of polio eradication and it was noticed that polio teams are supporting the training of frontline polio health workers on COVID-19, and using contact tracing, testing and communications methods to curb transmission. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, they also discussed that routine immunisation programs for children, especially polio vaccination, cannot be ignored.

PM, Iranian President discuss Covid-19 situation on phone

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a telephone call to Prime Minister Imran Khan also discussed prevalent COVID-19 situation. Both the leaders also deliberated on locust swarms that have been causing damage in the border areas. The Iranian President congratulated Prime Minister on advent of the holy month of Ramazan.

PM Khan holds phone talk with Bill Gates, Hassan Rouhani