Pakistan's ex-premier tests positive for coronavirus

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has tested positive for coronavirus, his family and party confirmed on Monday.

Abbasi, who served as premier for 10 months from 2017 to 2018 following the disqualification of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, has gone into self-isolation.

Confirming the development, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the president of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), said he prayed for Abbasi's speedy recovery.

Abbasi is the senior vice president of the party.

The former ruling party has urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure the availability of medicines to tackle the outbreak.

Meanwhile, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, and former health minister for northeastern Punjab province, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, have also contracted the virus.

A spokesman for Pakistan Railways confirmed that Ahmed, who has no apparent symptoms, has isolated himself at his home in Rawalpindi after testing positive.

Other high-profile politicians who were infected in Pakistan include governor of southeastern Sindh province Imran Ismail, and parliament speaker Asad Qaiser, among others.

The country has reported 103,671 infections thus far, including 2,067 deaths and 34,355 recoveries. The numbers have shot up exponentially following an ease in lockdown.