Ali Baba’s donation lands in Pakistan to fight COVID-19

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan received the first batch of epidemic relief material donated by China’s Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Gwadar Pro App, the donation of 500,000 face masks including N95 masks arrived in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of Pakistan will transport and distribute the supplies throughout the country, Alibaba Group said on Twitter.

Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Consul General of China to Karachi Li Bijian and representatives of the NDMA presented on the occasion. Syed Murad Ali Shah and NDMA officials highly appreciated the helping hands lent by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation.

They believed that the donation will definitively promote friendship between the two iron-clad brothers and provide guarantee for Pakistan to tackle the epidemic, adding that China always stands by Pakistan in its time of need.Li Bijian noted, “Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Pakistan, Government and people of China have been showing our solidarity with and providing assistance to our iron brother Pakistan.” He also expressed his sincere thanks to the two foundations for their generous donation.

“The efforts by the Federal and Provincial Governments of Pakistan to deal with the pandemic have been very strong and impressive,” he further said. The official Twitter account of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan tweeted out pictures of the consignment and said that China was standing together with Pakistan through thick and thin. The shipment is part of the donation of medical supplies to 10 Asian countries announced by Jack Ma on March 21.