ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Zafar Mirza has said that when all the trends regarding the novel coronavirus in Pakistan are showing improvement, one must not assess everything through less number of tests being conducted across the country.

“I believe we should not put everything on number of tests. We have passed from spike in mid-June. The testing is a factor, but it should be considered that the number of suspects has been reduced. We have collected data from hospitals and majority of them, apart from a few in Sindh, have told us that less number of people have been visiting hospitals,” said the PM’s aide on health affairs while talking to Media

Of the 264,593 cases reported since the outbreak of the highly contagious virus in the country, 204,276 patients have fully recovered, indicating that active cases have dropped to 60,317. The country reported 1,777 cases and 47 deaths during the past 24 hours, taking the national tally of cases to 264,593 and death toll to 5,591.

However, the government has been facing criticism from opposition parties for a significant drop in number of daily tests, despite the death of more than 2,200 patients since June 20. The government had increased the number of daily tests to 34,000 last month, but the number of tests per day suddenly fell in the last week of June and on July 18 around 18,000 tests were conducted across the country, triggering scepticism about the actual tally of cases.

Data shows fall in Covid-19 cases, but questions persist over its reliability

Talking to Media, the PM’s aide said there was no reason to doubt that the spread of the virus had slowed down when all indicators such as number of admitted patients in hospitals and those on oxygenated beds and ventilators had declined. He said even number of deaths had declined.

However, he added, it was correct that a discussion was under way to ascertain whether it was “premature optimism” or “permanent decline” in cases.

“Last week we considered that why the number of tests was reduced as there was no issue regarding capacity of tests. The reply was that the number of suspects has reduced at hospitals and private labs. Though we had a consensus that the number of tests should be increased it was also observed that around 40 to 50 per cent tests are being done through contact tracing policy which is called tracing, testing and quarantine (TTQ). The number of tests would have been further reduced if we lacked TTQ policy [under which all the contacts of patients are tested],” he said.

The PM’s aide said that a combination of nine factors turned around the situation in Pakistan. “We started lockdown much earlier on 13th March and it is still going on as restaurants, wedding halls, educational institutions, etc are still closed. The sectors that have been opened are being monitored and fines are imposed for violations. Moreover, contact tracing was improved through TTQ policy which was introduced on April 24. Wearing of mask has been declared mandatory and we are focusing on hygiene,” he said.

Dr Mirza said the immunity level, change in nature of virus as well as temperature could be some of the reasons behind the reduction in cases, but there was no doubt that patients’ management had also improved. “Initially healthcare workers were not aware that how they should deal with the patients and avoid chances of spread of virus, as the disease was new for everyone, but now patient management has been improved and they have learnt that what works and what does not,” the PM’s aide said.

“I believe that the NCOC has performed marvellously due to which coordination among the federal and provincial governments has improved. Moreover, we gathered data on a daily bases and tried to devise strategies as per situation due to which the situation improved. I also believe that an X-factor arises in pandemics due to which diseases are controlled,” he said.

Asked why cases were increasing in India where the situation has become out of control with around 30,000 cases being confirmed daily, Dr Mirza said India was much more complex, bigger and more diverse country as compared to Pakistan. “India started lockdown bit late and then suddenly withdrew it due to which their situation worsened. How­ever, we had strategy and we successful implemented it,” he said.

While talking to Dawn, federal Minister for Plann­ing, Development and Spec­ial Initiatives Asad Umar said that Covid-19 cases had been on the decline, the disease could spread again over Eidul Azha as people might not follow the health guideline for shopping.

“I am not worried about Eid prayers as people follow the SOPs during prayers. I fear that the people may not follow the SOPs at cattle markets and in others markets during Eid shopping as they did the same on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr,” he said.

Mr Umar said he would suggest the masses to opt for ‘collective sacrifice’.

ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has said that on July 19, 1947, the whole Kashmir State had desired to accede to Pakistan and that spirit still lives strong today.

Had it not been for the connivance of the Indian Army, Dogra Raj and the British rulers, true aspirations of the Kashmiri people would have been realised and they would have become a part of Pakistan on Aug 14, 1947, he said.

The AJK president said this while speaking at a seminar titled, ”Kashmir Accession Day and our Responsib­ilities”, organised by BTM Global and National Press Club in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Self-Deter­mination Movement (JKSDMI), led by its chairman Raja Najabat Hussain.

According to a statement, the AJK president while thanking the host of the event, Ms Sumaira Farrukh, for her social activities in AJK, said that her organisation provided massive social support to the people of AJK during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown which had greatly impacted the lives of the masses.

Afridi regrets social media accounts are blocked over raising of Kashmir issue

Mr Khan said that under very difficult circumstances in 1947, the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference representatives held a conference in Srinagar and passed a resolution vowing to accede to Pakistan. Fulfilling this resolution, he said, became the basis for people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to fight a war for independence from the Maharaja. This liberated region we now know as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan had become a defensive bastion for the whole of Pakistan, he said.

Mr Khan said that since the illegal occupation of the occupied territory in 1947 by Indian forces, killings of Kash­miris and aggression continued to this day. In 1947, at least 237,000 Kashmiri Muslims were killed just because they wanted to join Pakistan and now Kashmiris despite the presence of 900,000 troops continued to struggle for their self-determination and peacefully opposed the occupation.

“They [Kashmiris] have vowed to continue their struggle. They have been fighting occupation for 200 years and they will not give up”, he said.

The AJK president said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were grateful to Pakistan for being the only sovereign window for them, for highlighting the Kashmir dispute and fighting the case at international forums. Unfortu­nately, he said, the world order was ste­e­red by realpolitik and major international capitals were still silent over India’s aggression and human rights viola­tions in held Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK).

Chairman Parliamentary Comm­ittee on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi urged the champions of human rights all over the world to stand up for the Kashmiri people. He vowed to take the issue of Kashmir to every international forum. He said the government would take all political parties along and maintain a united stand on Kashmir.

He said it was unfortunate that social media accounts were being bloc­ked over raising the issue of Kashmir.

Former AJK prime minister Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan said that Accession to Pakistan Resolution and this auspicious day was an important event in the history of Kashmir. The conference on July 19, 1947, was attended by representatives from all over Jammu and Kashmir and in a way it was a referendum in which the Kashmiris gave the verdict in favour of Pakistan.

The seminar was also addressed by Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Sobia Kamal, Member of National Assembly Noreen Farooq and others.

Meanwhile, Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser said that Kashmiris had sacrificed a lot during the struggle of freedom from Indian occupation. He said the blood of innocent Kashmiris would not go waste.

In his message on the Kashmir Accession Day with Pakistan commemorated on Sunday, he said that the fascist Indian government had imposed a lockdown on the valley for the last 11 months and because of this thousands of Kashmiris were facing acute shortage of medicines and food.

He asked the international community to take notice of Indian brutalities in the occupied Kashmir valley.

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan caretaker Chief Minister Mir Afzal has announced that the region will be reopened to tourists soon, and directed to formulate the SOPs for the purpose.

According to a press release issued by the CM House the other day, Mr Afzal said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was taking keen interest in promoting tourism in GB.

“Tourism is important sector for development of the region, but it has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,’’ he said. The caretaker chief minister said tourists would be allowed to visit GB provided they observed the SOPs.

He said the GB tourism department should develop a mechanism to implement SOPs at the entry points and airports of the region.

“SOPs for tourists would be advertised,’’ he said.

Mir Afzal said with opening the region to tourists, economic activities would gain impetus to the benefit of the locals.

The caretaker chief minister directed GB secretary tourism to establish a museum in Gilgit to preserve traditional heritage. He said he would talk to the prime minister to start flights from other provinces to GB to facilitate tourists.

During a recent visit to the region, PM Imran had directed the caretaker chief minister to reopen GB to tourists after formulating SOPs.