Coronavirus: Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan goes into self-isolation
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to self-isolate himself after he met a philanthropist who tested positive for coronavirus. The PTI leader also took the COVID-19 test and his results came as negative, said reports. The philanthropist whom Khan met was Faisal Edhi, the chief of Edhi Foundation and the son of late Abdul Sattar Edhi. He tested positive for COVID-19 after meeting Khan.
Edhi met Khan on April 15 and a day later, developed COVID-19 symptoms. He had a fever, headache, body ache, and dehydration. Edhi's tests came out as positive five days later. To note, Edhi spent less than seven minutes with Khan. He said he didn't shake hands with anyone. He remained seated on his chair and later handed over a Rs. 10 million cheque.
Speaking on Aaj Khanzada Key Sath program on Geo News, Edhi said the premises of Khan's residence in Islamabad, where they met, must be sanitized. In another program, he said he must have contracted the infection in the last 17-18 days when he met important personalities of the country. His son also took the test twice but his results came as negative.
After news of Edhi's health surfaced, Khan decided to take the test. His personal physician and CEO of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Faisal Sultan, said on Tuesday, "Prime Minister Khan will undergo a test of the coronavirus to show that he is a responsible citizen of this county. We will follow all the protocols in place and make recommendations accordingly."
Meanwhile, Advisor on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan said Khan's family also took the test and the results came as negative. Across Pakistan, 9,749 have been infected with the virus that ravaged the entire world and 209 have died.
Like all countries, the pandemic has overwhelmed Pakistan's poor healthcare system and strained the cash-strapped economy. Yesterday, at a press meet, Khan said saving people from dying due to hunger is his biggest priority. He also urged believers to complete rituals, including the five-time prayers and Taraweeh prayers, in the upcoming month of Ramzan from their homes to keep a check on the spread.
