COVID-19: Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi calls for ‘global truce’ amid coronavirus pandemic

Dubai: President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi has called for ‘global truce’ in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

He proposes the cessation of all “skirmishes and war like situations”, in order to allow the countries to focus solely on the fight against coronavirus. The idea was floated by President Arif Alvi during the virtual summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) convened on Monday by Azerbaijan, the current chair.

NAM with over 120 members is the biggest global forum outside the United Nations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among several other leaders, who attended the summit.

President Alvi said the unprecedented crisis could and must be transformed into an opportunity to create a more equitable world economy that could enable developing countries to make progress towards Sustainable Development Goals and ensure that in an inter-connected, inter-dependent and increasingly globalised world, our policies and responses to such crisis, leaves no one behind, reported the Express Tribune.

Call for debt relief

“Our efforts to handle Covid-19 should stay clear of politicisation and pursuit of narrow agenda,” he stressed. He also reiterated Pakistan’s call for an urgent “Global Initiative on Debt Relief”.

“There should be strong efforts by governments to discourage intolerance and discrimination, incitement to hatred, etc because of Covid-19 and to provide equal health access to all people,” he said.

A major effort particularly focused towards the poorest in the world for their relief, and revival of economies at the earliest so that livelihoods may be restored should be made, he said.

He said the impact of Covid-19 had exposed the fragility of our global system and the enormity of the challenges we face.

Pakistan's safety measures

He said that Pakistan has introduced a wide-ranging measures to check the spread of the virus. “These included international and domestic travel restrictions, school closures, restrictions on public gatherings, localised quarantines, strengthening of countrywide health response and varying levels of lockdown in cities across the country,” he added.

He also highlighted steps Pakistan had taken, including approximately $8 billion for vulnerable groups, covering relief measures in cash for daily-wage workers, low-income families, financial support for SMEs, support for health and food supplies and fuel prices, and procurement of emergency services.