Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani tested positive for the coronavirus, his son Kasim Gilani revealed on Saturday.
In a tweet, Kasim Gilani said that his father’s Covid-19 test had come back positive and that he blamed Prime Minister Imran Khan and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for his father’s infection. “Thank you Imran Khan’s government and National Accountability Bureau! You have successfully put my father’s life in danger.”
Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi also tested positive for the coronavirus, he revealed on Saturday. In a tweet, Afridi said that he had been “feeling unwell since Thursday and his body had been aching badly”. He added that he got tested for Covid-19 which came back positive. He requested prayers for a “speedy recovery”.
Another lawmaker has fallen prey to Covid-19 in Pakistan as Ayesha Bano – a member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly- tested positive on Saturday. Bano, a member of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said that she got herself tested after getting ill, adding that she has gone into self-quarantine at her residence. She appealed to the masses to adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stop the spread of the deadly disease.
Sindh Assembly member Sajeela Laghari also tested positive for Covid-19. The total number of affected members of the Sindh Assembly has jumped to 22. Nearly 100 MPs have so far tested coronavirus positive across Pakistan.
On Saturday, the nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients jumped at 135,943, with 50,087 cases reported in Punjab, 51,518 in Sindh, 17,450 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 8,028 in Balochistan, 1,093 in Gilgit Baltistan, 7,163 in Islamabad and 604 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 2,597 lives while around 50,056 coronavirus patients have recovered.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah Saturday reported 2,262 cases, taking the provincial tally to 51,518. In the past 24 hours, 24 patients succumbed to the virus and the province’s death toll stands at 816, while at least 1,274 patients have recovered. Out of the 2,262 new cases, 1,517 cases emerged from Karachi.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday reported 49 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 1,093. According to GB health authorities, 16 people succumbed to the deadly virus while 386 have recovered. No death was reported in the region during the past 24 hours, they added.
The Balochistah health department has confirmed another three fatalities due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the provincial death toll to 83. It also reported 162 fresh cases of Covid-19 to raise the province’s tally to 8,028. A total of 2,795 patients have recovered from the respiratory illness in the province so far.
Health officials in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have confirmed another casualty due to Covid-19 to bring the region’s death toll to 12. They also reported 30 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours to raise the tally to 604. Meanwhile, eight more patients recovered to bring the total recoveries to 250 in the state. Active cases stand at 342.
At least 1,035 more people have contracted coronavirus in the past 24 hours, making it the highest single day tally in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. With this, the cases tally has risen to 17,450. Meanwhile, 19 more people succumbed to the deadly disease – five in Peshawar, four in Nowshera, two each in Kohat and Orakzai, and one each in Hangu, Malakand, Dir Lower, Mardan, Mohmand and Battagram – bringing the death toll to 661 in the province.
