Chief Justice of Pakistan, family test negative for COVID-19

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad and his family members have tested negative for novel COVID-19 on Tuesday.

The Chief Justice and his family underwent screening after a staff member of the chief justice was diagnosed with the disease.

According to sources, Naib Qasid Muhammad Ehsan has been shifted to Poly Clinic after being diagnosed with the infection, where he has been quarantined.

On Monday, the Supreme Court in a suo-moto case hearing had asked the government to remove Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza from his position over the poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

A five-member bench headed by the chief justice and comprising Justice Umar Atta Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Mandukhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin had heard the first suo-moto case.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed had expressed his displeasure over the performance of the federal government in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pakistan reported 96 deaths from the novel COVID-19 while the total number of cases has jumped to 5,716.

According to National Command and Control Center, more than 342 cases of COVID-19 were reported while three people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours.