Pak PM Imran Khan declares "jihad" against Covid; asks youth to join 'Corona Tiger Force'

Pakistan PM Imran Khan urged youth of country to join 'Corona Tiger Force', which he referred to as 'jihad' against Coronavirus pandemic. He urged citizens of Pakistan, especially youth to join force. 

"I want youth to play ir role in helping our fight against COVID 19 by joining our Corona Tiger Force, which will be organised to do Jihad against suffering caused by this pandemic," Imran Khan wrote on Twitter. 

Imran Khan on Monday anunced formation of 'Corona Relief Tiger Force' to battle Coronavirus along with Pakistani government and Qamar Bajwa-led Army. Force will be responsible for delivering essential goods, food, eng in awareness campaign, quarantine manment and so on. In thick of a global outbreak. Imran Khan rejected a total lockdown in country, citing ecomic impact it would have. He furr justified his decision by saying that situation of country was t as bad as Italy or China due to Coronavirus. 

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Pakistan confirmed 2,238 positive Coronavirus cases on Thursday morning with--709 cases in Sindh province, 54 in Islamabad, 276 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 845 in Punjab, 164 in Balochistan, 6 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and 184 in Gilgit Baltistan. Out of which, 31 have died while 82 have recovered. 

Pakistan increases testing capability 

Pakistan said on Tuesday that it considerably increased its testing capability since coronavirus outbreak as number of COVID-19 cases crossed 1,900 in country, showing a constant urd trajectory despite efforts to pull it downwards. Meanwhile, government planned to rent two three-star hotels in city to use ir rooms to isolate suspected patients of coronavirus. A 1,000-bed Expo Centre Hospital has also been completed for patient manment and will start functioning soon.

" country had capacity to test 30,000 people on March 13, and this will rise to 280,000 by tomorrow…By April 15, we will furr increase it to 900,000,” Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who was flanked by Prime Minister's Advisor on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and Revenue Minister Hammad Azhar, told reporters. He said government was balancing its measures to combat virus and also ensure food supply to people.

(With PTI inputs) 

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