Pakistan desirous of hosting Saarc health ministers moot

Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its desire to host the health ministers from the SAARC member states with a view to collectively fight the COVID-19 in the region, besides demanded the proposed "emergency" should be placed under the supervision of the secretary general of the regional forum.
This, according to Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui, was conveyed by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to SAARC Secretary General Esala Ruwan Weerakoon during his telephonic conversation, in which the duo discussed the challenges faced by south Asian states in the face of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emphasised the need for joint efforts to deal with the situation.
Congratulating Weerakoon on assuming responsibilities as the 14th secretary general of the SAARC, the foreign minister also assured him of Pakistan's full support and expressed the hope that under his experienced stewardship, the SAARC process would be able to move forward.
Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored that being a founding member; Pakistan remained committed to the SAARC process and considered it an important platform for regional cooperation.
He reiterated Pakistan's readiness to host the SAARC Health Ministers' Meeting and suggested that due to the prevailing global health emergency a video conference could be organised.
The secretary general SAARC appreciated Pakistan's proposal of the health minister's video conference.
Qureshi also reiterated that the proposed SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund might be placed under the supervision of the secretary general of the SAARC, and that the modalities for the fund's utilisation be finalised through consultations among the member states.
Dilating upon the economic impact of the COVID-19 on the developing world, Foreign Minister Qureshi highlighted Prime Minister Imran Khan's call for debt restructuring of the developing countries to enable them to dedicate resources towards saving human lives and shoring up economies.
He also reiterated Pakistan's readiness to work closely with the SAARC Secretariat and SAARC member states to realise the common goal of accelerating economic growth and promoting the welfare of the people of south Asia. The spokesperson further said that Foreign Minister Qureshi also held telephone conversation with his Qatari counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The two ministers discussed the situation resulting from the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ways to mitigate the crisis.
Qureshi stated that Pakistan was deploying all available resources to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 and reduce its impact.
Appreciating the timely measures taken by the Qatari government, he noted with satisfaction that these steps had helped contain the disease in Qatar.
The foreign minister apprised his Qatari counterpart about Prime Minister Imran Khan's call for debt relief and restructuring to enable the developing countries to free up resources to combat the disease and shore up economies.
Foreign Minister Qureshi also appreciated the role played by the State of Qatar in facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan.
He also expressed deep concern over the situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K), where the coronavirus had spread and fatalities were being reported.
"Continued restrictions on movement and communication were imperiling the health and safety of eight million Kashmiris," Qureshi said.
He called for immediate lifting of all restrictions to allow dissemination of information and unfettered supply of medicines, and other essentials.
The foreign minister also called for immediate release of all Kashmiri leaders, youth and civil society members, who had been languishing in Indian jails and were at heightened risk of contracting the infection.
The Qatari deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs thanked Foreign Minister Qureshi for his call and highlighted the steps being taken by Qatar to contain the pandemic.
He underscored the importance of learning from the experience of the countries, which had managed to control the disease successfully.
The Qatari foreign minister described Pakistan's call for debt restructuring for developing countries as an important and timely initiative and stated that Qatar was supportive of it.
The two ministers underscored the need for joint efforts to deal with the current challenges and agreed to stay closely engaged on all issues of common interest.