Pakistan's former prime minister Abbasi, Railways Minister Rashid test positive for coronavirus

Islamabad, June 08: Pakistan's former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and incumbent Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad were tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb confirmed that 61-year-old Abbasi was infected by the virus. Abbasi, who is the Senior Vice President of the PML-N, served as the prime minister from August 2017 to May 2018 after his party leader Nawaz Sharif was de-seated by a court ruling in a corruption case.

He has gone into self-isolation at his house after receiving a positive COVID-19 test report on Monday, his party officials said. PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif wished Abbasi a speedy recovery. Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a statement by his office.

"Sheikh Rashid has tested positive for COVID-19," the statement said, adding that he has gone into self-isolation and will remain in quarantine for two weeks as per doctors' advice.

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader and former provincial minister Sharjeel Memon was tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's provincial lawmaker Chaudhry Ali Akhtar was also tested positive for the virus, his spokesperson said. The spokesperson shared that the Akhtar was in home isolation and had gotten himself tested after showing symptoms of the virus.

Akhtar was elected from Punjab Assembly's Faisalabad III in the 2018 elections. At least four lawmakers, including a provincial minister, have died due to coronavirus in Pakistan. Five persons, including two officers, at Pakistan's Foreign Office have been tested positive for coronavirus, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said on Sunday, adding that the cases emerged in the office within the past week.

Pakistan's coronavirus cases crossed the 1,00,000-mark on Sunday and the infection is spreading fast in the country.