Malik to brief SC today about development on coronavirus

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Abdul Rehman Malik will brief the Supreme Court of Pakistan today (Monday) about the local and international development on coronavirus.

Supreme Court through a letter to Rehman Malik has asked to appear in the court and make submissions as suo motu case action regarding combating the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19) is fixed for hearing before the court tomorrow (April 20). He will also apprise the court about the committee measures and proceedings regarding coronavirus since February 27th, 2020.

Rehman Malik had taken notice on February 26, 2020 of the potential spread of coronavirus in Pakistan soon after its first two cases were confirmed positive in the country. In an emergency on February 27, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior chaired had given the government a comprehensive National Action Plan to counter the potential spread of coronavirus in Pakistan and had timely advised the necessary preventive and other remedial measures on war footings.

In the said meeting, the government was cautioned that the coronavirus could spread throughout the country rapidly after its outbreak in China and Iran if necessary measures on war footings were not taken. The committee had termed the coronavirus outbreak as a National Security Threat and had asked the government to impose medical emergency across the country and close all the educational institutions immediately.

The committee chairman had also advised the prime minister to convene a meeting of chief ministers, chief secretaries, health secretaries and other concerned authorities of four provinces to formulate a joint counter coronavirus strategy to control it before it spread across the country.