Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an interview with Associated
Press has called for lifting of sanctions on Iran to enable it to combat
coronavirus.
In a call for action from the international community, Imran
Khan said it was time to end US sanctions on Iran, where one of the worst
coronavirus outbreaks in the world has unfolded.
Iran has struggled to respond in part because of crippling
sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
Khan further added that Iran is a “classic example” of a
place where the humanitarian imperative to contain the outbreak outweighs
political rivalries or economic dogmas.
The prime minister said he fears the new coronavirus will
devastate the economies of developing nations and warned richer economies to
prepare to write off the debts of the world’s poorer countries.
“It’s not just Pakistan. I would imagine the same in India,
in the subcontinent, in African countries,” the prime minister said, referring
to the virus, “If it spreads, we will all have problems with our health
facilities. We just don’t have that capability. We just don’t have the
resources.”
