Pakistanis pray for virus-hit Indians amid ‘testing times’
Pak’s mainstream media has given extensive coverage to the situation in India, while special prayers are being offered in mosques and Ramadan transmissions; plan to vaccinate 70m people by year-end: Report
With the COVID-19 situation in India continuing to wreak havoc the neighbouring country, the people of Pakistan — politicians, journalists, and citizens — are all prayers, sending wishes and expressing genuine concerns for all Indians.
The second wave of COVID-19 outbreak is challenging the country’s health infrastructure with devastation, struggle and suffering, bringing it under severe stress.
In these testing times, while the whole world is pouring in with prayers and best wishes for the people of India; through the weekend, #Pakistanstandswithindia and #Indianeedoxygen remained as top trends on the social media plaform Twiter as alarming numbers of positive cases of the novel coronavirus batered Indians.
Social media has been flooded with vexing stories of Indians, suffering to the shortage of oxygen and medical facilitations.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has also expressed solidarity with the people of India, offering every kind of support in the difficult times.
On April 24, Imran Khan @Imrankhanpti tweeted: I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they batle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together.
Nuzhat Uthmani @Nuthmani tweeted: It is heart warming ater 70+ years of tensions to see the top trend in #Pakistanis #Pakistanstandswithindia. Indeed humanity is our most important faith and what being good neighbours should be about. Praying for all our family in #Indiaand #Pakistan #IndiaNeedsoxygen.
Asim Azhar @Asimazharr: We, as a nation, pray for our neighbours India to recover from this difficult time. All our love & prayers. #Pakistanstandswithindia.
Soha @Sohahussain8: My heart is bleeding that our neighbouring country India is struggling with exponentially rising COVID-19 cases. During this month let’s pray for those countries which are fighting Against COVID-19. Pray for India #indianeedoxygen #Pakistanstandswithindia.
Pakistan’s mainstream media has given extensive coverage to the situation in India, while special prayers are being offered in mosques and Ramadan transmissions, with citizens praying for all of India to overcome the current crisis and difficult times.
Senior journalist Nasim Zehra expressed her pain to see the sufferings of citizens in India.
“We in Pakistan watch your acute suffering with great pain. Our duas that by some miracle Allah swt ends your pain that your government an Inshaaallah soon/successfully tackle the acute shortage of oxygen etc. Whatever are differences, we bond in humanity. Our prayers for you continue. In solidarity #Praying4indians.”
Faisal Edhi, son of the renowned philanthropist Abdul Satar Edhi and chairman of the Edhi Foundation had also writen to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, offering help in confronting the epidemic.
In a separate development, Pakistani authorities have planned to ensure vaccination of 70 million people by the end of the ongoing calendar year, said a report.
India had slapped a ban on exporting its vaccine so it created difficulties for Pakistan because Islamabad had earlier envisaged plans to procure maximum vaccine from its neighbour.
However, Pakistani authorities made alternate plans and seemed confident that the daily vaccination would soon touch 100,000 persons. They are expecting that the vaccination per day might go up to 200,000 per day in the coming weeks and months as it is geting momentum. They would be able to meet the growing requirement of vaccines on a daily basis.
The government has so far approved $150 million for procurement of vaccine for COVID-19 pandemic and another formal summary will be forwarded to get approval of $90 million for this purpose obtained from Islamic Development Bank (IDB). In totality, the allocated amount will go up to $240 million for obtaining vaccines that has become a scarce thing for all countries including for western world.