ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will dispatch three planes load of COVID-related relief goods to Iraq on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan to help the country in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The first planeload was dispatched on Saturday in presence of the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador of Iraq to Pakistan. The next two consignments will be sent in the coming week.
In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Pakistan and Iraq have long-standing fraternal ties rooted firmly in shared faith and values. He said the two countries have a multifaceted relationship marked by regular high-level exchanges and growing cooperation in diverse fields.
The Foreign Office Spokesperson said COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge, which can only be contained with international solidarity and cooperation. He said the government and people of Pakistan stand by their Iraqi brethren in this difficult time.
Last year, Pakistan sent medical supplies to Syria to support its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The supplies were delivered on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing-777 aircraft. The NDMA had said the shipment sent to Damascus includes medical equipment, 250,000 masks, thousands of protective gear and other health items.
