Pakistan PM Imran Khan tests positive for COVID-19

New Delhi, March 20, 2021

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, confirmed the development on Saturday.

Sultan said that the 68-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician has quarantined himself at home.

"PM Imran Khan has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self isolating at home," Sultan said in a tweet.

Pakistan is using the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm against Covid-19 pandemic. Recently a batch of 5,00,000 doses was received in Pakistan from China.

The vaccination drive in Pakistan is currently underway for senior citizens.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished speedy recovery to his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan.

"Best wishes to Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI for a speedy recovery from Covid-19," Modi tweeted.

Khan's positive test comes at a time when Pakistan is seeing a steep rise in coronavirus infections.

As per the Pakistan Health Department, 3,876 people have been tested positive in the last 24 hours in the country "the highest number of daily infections since early July", taking the total number of infections in the country past 620,000. There were also 42 more deaths, taking the total to 13,799.

IANS