Balochistan govt has no funds to provide facilities to pilgrims: Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan while addressing the lack of facilities at Taftan border, said that the area is "barren" and Balochistan government did not have enough funds to provide adequate facilities to pilgrims and traders arriving from Iran.

He said,"Dr Zafar (Mirza) went to Taftan after the first case was reported and when he returned and gave us the report, we were horrified. Because the [area] lacked basic facilities,"

"We can't call it mismanagement. There was no management there at all," Khan said.

In Quetta, a late-night notification issued by the home and tribal affairs department said the Balochistan government had banned Friday prayers across the province at mosques with immediate effect.

Mosques will remain open but only five people could perform the prayers, including the prayer leader and four others. It further said the people would perform all prayers at their homes.

Prime Minister said although coronavirus has so far not spread as widely in Pakistan as in some western countries, there is "no guarantee" that COVID-19 cases will not sharply rise in the country in the coming weeks.

He said the government is now preparing for the "worst-case scenario."

Pakistan has reported 1,291 cases, of which 440 are in Sindh, 419 in Punjab, 180 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 132 in Balochistan, 93 in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK)/Gilgit Baltistan and 27 in Islamabad. 21 patients have recovered and the total death toll in Pakistan stands at nine.