PM Imran Khan calls NSC to discuss strategy to tackle coronavirus

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee on Friday to discuss steps to be taken by his government to contain coronavirus spread as COVID-19 cases rose to 20 in the country.

"The NSC meeting would be chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and participated by the chief of army staff, representatives of provinces and other stakeholders. The meeting may decide to impose sort of emergency or indirect emergency in the country," Dawn News quoted Special Assistant to the PM on Health, Zafar Mirza as saying.

According to official data, of the 20 cases, 14 are from Sindh, five from Gilgit-Baltistan and one from Balochistan.

The latest confirmed case of coronavirus in the country was reported from Gilgit where a 31- year-old man, a resident of Shigar district who had travelled to Iran, tested positive for the infection.

After the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, Sindh province decided that all the Pakistan Super League matches will be played behind closed doors and the educational institutions which were to reopen on March 16 will remain closed until May 30.

So far, Pakistan has scanned 894,256 travellers for symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Out of these, 471 have been tested for the virus.

According to the data available at the National Institute of Health website, 20 cases have been confirmed in Pakistan out of which 14 were reported in Sindh province, five in Gilgit-Baltistan and one in Balochistan.

Globally, there have been 125,048 confirmed cases and 4,613 deaths as per the latest data made available by WHO.