Pakistan expressed solidarity with virus-ravaged India on Saturday as the world’s second most populous country reels under a devastating COVID-19 wave.
Single-day infections in India hit another global record of 346,786 on Saturday, with the daily death toll at 2,624.
The country’s overall tally is now over 16.6 million, including 189,544 fatalities.
A staggering surge in infections has kept India’s daily case count over 300,000 since Thursday, pushing the healthcare system to the verge of collapse and causing a crippling shortage of oxygen supply.
“I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19,” Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Twitter.
“Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighborhood and the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together.”
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s foreign minister, also posted a message of support on Twitter.
“We express our support to the people of India in the wake of the current wave of COVID-19 infections, that has hit our region hard. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the affected families in India,” he said.
The pandemic, he added, is “yet another reminder that humanitarian issues require responses beyond political consideration.”
He said Pakistan continues to work with member states of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation – a regional intergovernmental organization – to foster cooperation to tackle the pandemic.
Edhi Foundation, Pakistan’s largest humanitarian agency, on Friday offered to send a fleet of 50 ambulances and staff to help in India’s fight against the pandemic. New Delhi is yet to respond to the offer.
