South Asian leaders to meet on COVID-19

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - Heads of eight South Asian countries will meet late Sunday to discuss the current situation in the region and chalk out a joint strategy to stem the spread of new coronavirus, the Indian prime minister said.

According to Narendra Modi, the meeting via video conference will start at 5 p.m. local time (1130GMT).

"Tomorrow at 5 p.m, leaders of SAARC [the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] nations will discuss via conferencing, a roadmap to fight the challenge of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus," Modi tweeted Saturday evening.

The leaders from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sir Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan are expected to participate in the meeting via video conference.

Currently, Pakistan and India are in a diplomatic row as Islamabad cut its ties with New Delhi following India’s decision to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on Aug. 5 last year.

But on Friday, Pakistani Foreign Ministry positively responded to Modi's proposal to meet the South Asian countries heads of state and said the country's top health official will be available to participate in the video conference.

"The threat of #COVID-19 requires coordinated efforts at global and regional level. We have communicated that SAPM [Special advisor to prime minister] on Health will be available to participate in the video conference of #SAARC member countries on the issue," Aisha Farooqui, spokesperson of Foreign Ministry tweeted.

India has reported 107 confirmed coronavirus cases with two fatalities in the country, according to NDTV India.

Pakistan stands second with 33 cases, Afghanistan 16, Bangladesh five, while Nepal and Bhutan each reported one confirmed case.

Maldives currently 11 cases, according to its Health Protection Agency, the local media reported.

Sri Lanka has confirmed six cases so far, according to local sources.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the virus known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 141 countries and territories.

The global death toll from the virus has surpassed 5,700, with more than 152,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.