Saarc virtual workshop on Covid: Pakistan agrees to share best practices with members

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan for the second time attended a virtual meeting organized by India under the umbrella of Saarc, which included all member states as well as Mauritius and Seychelles. Pakistan said it would be happy to inter alia share its best practices with the regional countries at the said workshop.

On Thursday Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Faisal Sultan participated in the virtual workshop, “Exchange of Good Practices in tackling COVID Pandemic and the Way Forward”. Indian Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan presided over the workshop which was also addressed by Prime Minister Modi.

Indian media sources said all states including Pakistan accepted proposals spelt out by Modi, which included creation of special visa regime for doctors, nurses for future health crisis and creation of a regional air ambulance pact for health contingency.

However, apart from confirming participation of Pakistan in the conference, there was no formal response from the Foreign Office on the proposals floated by Modi. Earlier, during the weekly media press conference, the spokesman commenting on the workshop said in line with its policy of enhanced regional and international cooperation in dealing with the pandemic, Pakistan was also participating in the said workshop and sharing its good practices with the regional countries.

“It may be recalled that Pakistan had also hosted a conference of Saarc Health Ministers to enhance regional cooperation against COVID-19”, he said. He pointed out that it was due to effective policies and timely interventions by the government, Pakistan did well, particularly during the first wave of the pandemic.

“Our handling of COVID-19 based on the “whole of government approach”, “smart-lockdowns” and the “maintenance of balance between lives and livelihoods” earned Pakistan global recognition”, he added.

Responding to several queries, the spokesman gave a rather mild response saying Pakistan believed India should also facilitate Sikh Yatris for visiting their religious sites in Pakistan. On Wednesday, India had withdrawn permission to the Yatris to visit Pakistan citing security reasons as well as the high level of pandemic in the country where health services were lacking.

In fact, the spokesman responded that Pakistan provides maximum facilitation to the Sikh Yatris from all over the world, including India, for visiting their religious sites in Pakistan. “In its historic Kartarpur Corridor initiative, Pakistan had opened the largest and the holiest Sikh shrine in Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate

Sikh Yatris, and the Sikh as well as the international community, including the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who while visiting Kartarpur described it as “Corridor of Hope”, have immensely appreciated this landmark initiative of Pakistan”, he added.

The Sikh community, he pointed out, remains particularly appreciative of the efforts made by Pakistan to complete the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Project in record time and for the excellent arrangements made to facilitate the pilgrims.

As Indian and Sri Lankan media reported that an address by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Sri Lankan Parliament was cancelled, the spokesman brushed aside the question. Rather, he responded, “The two sides are currently working on the elements of the programme of the prime minister’s visit, keeping in view the COVID-19 related health safety protocols. Further details of the prime minister’s visit will be shared in due course”.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will be the first head of government to visit Sri Lanka after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office last year, which is reflective of the importance both countries attach to this important relationship.

“The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Sri Lanka, which was accepted by the later. The visit is likely to take place later this month”, said the spokesman.

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi addressed a virtual Special Meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on “Reimagining Equality: Eliminating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination for all in the Decade of Action for SDGs”.

The special meeting was convened under Pakistan’s Presidency of ECOSOC, and was aimed at addressing the linkage between structural racism, discrimination, inequalities and the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals – with a special focus on building those inter-linkages that help in a better response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts.

With reference to Pakistan’s neighbourhood, the foreign minister highlighted that the hateful political rhetoric and incitement to violence against vulnerable ethnic and religious groups had resulted in discriminatory citizenship laws, attacks on places of worship and repeated state-sponsored pogroms against minorities, in addition to the brutal occupation and suppression of peoples struggling for their right to self-determination.

He called upon the international community to recommit to upholding the fundamental principles of human rights and guaranteeing substantive equality for all. He also proposed, inter alia, the forging of a global alliance against the rise and spread of Islamophobic as well as other violent nationalist and racist groups.

Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic had disproportionately impacted minorities, making them more vulnerable to extreme poverty and unemployment, as well as higher rates of infection and mortality, the foreign minister urged the international community to address the structural drivers of discrimination, including those rooted in the history and legacy of colonialism.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday concluded his three-day official visit to Egypt on Thursday. During the visit, Qureshi called on President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and held delegation level talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, besides holding a meeting with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States. Both the foreign ministers echoed each other’s desire and commitment to take the bilateral relationship to new heights which have restored after 10 years.