UN Chief backs Imran Khan’s call for debt relief

Secretary General UN Antonio Guterres has supported Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for a Global Initiative for debt relief to developing countries.

At a regular virtual press briefing in New York, the Spokesman of the Secretary General UN, Stephane Dujarric said Imran Khan’s initiative is in the same spirit as the Secretary-General’s own position.

Secretary General UN backs PM

He said the UN Chief believes that debt relief must be an important part of the response to COVID-19, including immediate waiver on interest payments for the current year.

The spokesman said it important that the limited resources of the world’s poorest countries used to combat Covid-19 virus.

Earlier Prime Minister Imran urged the world leaders, the secretary general and heads of financial institutions to give debt relief to the developing countries like Pakistan so that they could combat the deadly Covid-19 in a better way.

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram gave a detailed briefing on the prime minister’s call to the UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed and the Secretary-General’s Chef de Cabinet, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

Coronavirus in Pakistan

The number of confirmed coronavirus COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 6,505 on Thursday after new infections confirmed in the country.

Punjab reported six new deaths on Thursday, taking the provincial toll of deaths due to novel coronavirus to 34.

Here, on the other hand, lock down in Sindh enters into straight 25th day.

However, some areas of Karachi, where a high number of confirmed virus cases reported, sealed on orders of the provincial administration.