India / Pakistan agrees with PM Modi's proposal to tackle coronavirus in South Asia

New Delhi: Pakistan has said it will participate in a video conference of Saarc countries as it acknowledged the need for “coordinated efforts at global and regional level”, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the bloc could work together to counter the threat of coronavirus.

The Prime Minister had reached out to the eight-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) to chalk out a strong strategy to combat coronavirus outbreak and called for a discussion through video conferencing by the grouping’s leadership.

The spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry responded early on Friday with a tweet and said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special assistant for health had been deputed to participate in the proposed video conference.

The threat of #COVID-19 requires coordinated efforts at global and regional level. We have communicated that SAPM on Health will be available to participate in the video conference of #SAARC member countries on the issue.

— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) March 13, 2020

“The threat of COVID-19 requires coordinated efforts at global and regional level. We have communicated that SAPM (special assistant to Prime Minister) on Health will be available to participate in video conference of SAARC member countries on the issue,” the tweet read.

The spokesperson had earlier said Pakistan was ready to extend assistance to its neighbours.

Modi had on Twitter urged India’s neighbours to join hands to fight the coronavirus outbreak that has claimed more than 5000 lives worldwide and infected more than 130,000 people.

“I would like to propose that the leadership of SAARC nations chalk out a strong strategy to fight Coronavirus. We could discuss, via video conferencing, ways to keep our citizens healthy. Together, we can set an example to the world, and contribute to a healthier planet,” he tweeted.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka—the other Saarc members—had responded quickly to Prime Minister Modi’s call.

India has so far recorded two deaths and more than 80 infections, including 17 foreigners.

Pakistan has reported 21 cases and Afghanistan has so far reported seven positive cases and 60 suspected cases.

There is one case each in Bhutan and Nepal, two in Sri Lanka, three in Bangladesh, and eight in the Maldives.

Officials of the external affairs, home and health ministries on Friday briefed representatives of more than 130 countries and international organisations on India’s steps to counter COVID-19.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared coronavirus a pandemic and said it was “deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity (of the virus) and by the alarming levels of inaction.