Praising the doctors, nurses and paramedics, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday said "our healthcare staff is dealing with COVID-19 efficiently and they will be facilitated and fully protected in the war against coronavirus."

In a tweet, the CM said: "Coronavirus in its invasion of the world has magnified the stark difference between developing and developed world. The developed countries under UN must take urgent measures to prevent a future humanitarian crisis," he said, adding: "Coronavirus pandemic has affected the everyday life in the whole world including Pakistan."

In a statement, the CM emphasised that provision of relief to the vulnerable strata including daily wage earners is the priority of the PTI government. The financial aid programme had been started under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan was the first country among the developing nations which had provided such support, he said.

The CM assured that deserving families would be given their right. That financial aid programme was very transparent and it was the time to help the needy by staying above politics, he added.

The CM also expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the martyrdom of Instructor Major Umer and Lt Faizan in a crash of training aircraft near Gujrat. He paid tributes to the great sacrifices of both and extended sympathies to their families.

The CM also strongly condemned unprovoked shelling and firing of Indian army at civilian population along the Line of Control and expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the martyrdom of two-year-old Muhammad Haseeb in Dhundial Sector.

He said supremacist Modi regime was bent upon disturbing the regional peace when the whole world was facing the coronavirus pandemic. "India is blatantly violating international laws and human rights principles by targeting the civilian population and such nefarious acts of Indian occupied army are highly condemnable," he said.