NCC meeting decisions deferred: Firdous

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadca-sting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Monday that the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic had shaken the healthcare system and the economy of the world, especially in the developing countries, and Pakistan was no exception.

Awan said the whole country needed to be united to take a coherent action in the fight against coronavirus.

During a media briefing on the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting in Islamabad, she said the decisions of the committee had been deferred for a day on the request of the Sindh Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah.

She said the provincial chief minister sought some time before making any decision regarding reopening of essential industries.

The special assistant said it was not a time for political point-scoring and rather everyone should work in tandem to synergize the efforts against the killer disease.

She also tweeted that Prime Minister Imran Khan's appeal for debt relief from the world was the voice of the poor people of the developing countries.

In developing countries, the social and economic impacts of coronavirus spread could be profound, Awan opined.

She said that an effective global response to the pandemic was need of the hour.

Awan urged the global institutions such as the United Nations (UN) to play a leading role in providing resources and relief to the people of the developing countries, while remaining committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.