China, US, EU step up funding to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan marks over 24,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with the death toll doubling, Thursday saw immense financial support from the international capitals. China, the European Union, and the United State stepped up contributions in millions of dollars.

“Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Pakistan, China has extended tremendous support to Pakistan to fight the pandemic. The Chinese government has so far provided us with $4 million in cash donations in addition to 390 ventilators, 330,000 testing kits, 830,000 N95 masks, 5.8 million surgical masks, 42,000 protective suits, and millions of other PPEs”, said the Foreign Office spokesperson Ayesha Farooqui during the weekly media briefing here.

“Pakistan also received critical medical supplies including a vast quantity of disposable surgical masks, KN-95 masks, testing kits, protective clothing, and portable ventilators from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Three Gorges Corporation.

Jack Ma Foundation has provided two batches of medical supplies, over500,000 face masks including N95 masks and a number of ventilators”, said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile the Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara in a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday presented Rs24.5 billion Covid19 package that the EU has put together in support to Pakistan.

Earlier, US Ambassador Paul Jones announced a new American contribution of $5 million to support the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme and $2.5 million therapeutic food program for children diagnosed with acute malnutrition.

The US Embassy said since designating Pakistan a priority country for coronavirus assistance, the United States had committed nearly $15 million in new funding to the country. Pakistan also remains confident that the CPEC will be able to complete projects in time while the short-term impact of coronavirus will be counterbalanced by effective and swift mobilization of resources for timely completion of CPEC.

Commenting on 277th day of the continued oppression, inhuman lockdown, and military siege faced by the innocent people in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson pointed out that despite the surge in COVID-19 cases in IOJ&K, Indian occupation forces were continuing their relentless campaign of oppression and brutalization of the Kashmiri people.

“Innocent Kashmiris are being martyred in fake encounters and phoney cordon-and-search operations. In an inhuman practice, even the mortal remains of those martyred are not being handed over to the families. Thousands of Kashmiri men, women and children are taking to the streets to protest against Indian brutalities and to let the world community know that they reject illegal Indian occupation”, she said.

Despite the surge in COVID-19 cases in IOJ&K, the Indian occupation forces continue their relentless campaign of oppression and brutalization of Kashmiri people. Innocent Kashmiris are being martyred in fake encounters and phoney cordon-and-search operations.

“In an inhuman practice, even the mortal remains of those martyred are not being handed over to the families. Thousands of Kashmiri men, women and children are taking to the streets to protest against Indian brutalities and to let the world community know that they reject illegal Indian occupation”, said the spokesperson.

The Indian occupation forces have again completely shut down Internet services in the IOJ&K after the life of another local Kashmiri resistance fighter was taken in a so-called “encounter.”

“There are reports of Indian security forces firing pellet guns and live bullets on peaceful protesters, killing at least one innocent Kashmiri and wounding scores of others. These Indian actions are highly condemnable”, she added.

Meanwhile, Senior Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Islamabad, with Doha and New Delhi on his itinerary. Pakistan says it has always maintained that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict.

Khalilzad will be meeting with the Taliban representatives as well said the US State Department. In Delhi, he will meet with Indian officials to discuss the important role of India in a sustainable peace in Afghanistan and the region. And in Islamabad, he will meet with Pakistani officials and also discuss the Afghan peace process.

To a query, the spokesperson said Pakistan had always encouraged all sides to resolve all issues through negotiations, as there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict.

“We have played the role of an honest facilitator for the US-Taliban Peace Agreement. It is now a historic opportunity for the Afghan leadership to seize and resolve their mutual issues through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. We hope that the US-Taliban deal is implemented in full which will lead to peace in Afghanistan”, she said.