In a tweet, lawmaker says his son and daughter have also tested positive and he is now entering self-quarantine
Speaker of the House in the National Assembly of Pakistan, Asad Qaiser, on Thursday announced that he and his son and daughter had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“I have put myself in self-quarantine,” the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker said on Twitter, confirming he had started experiencing symptoms, including a fever, in the past few days. He said that while he had also been tested earlier, alongside other parliamentarians, the result at the time had come back negative.
“Today, when I had myself tested again, the report came out positive,” he said, adding, “I have been advised to stay at home and take care.”
He said that his entire family had also been tested and his son and daughter had tested positive for COVID-19. His staff and people who have come into contact with him in the past two weeks have been advised to immediately get themselves tested to ensure they do not have the virus.
“I request the entire nation to take precautions and to pray for my recovery,” Qaiser added on Twitter.
The speaker is the latest Pakistani politician—and third PTI leader—to test positive for COVID-19. Earlier this week, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail announced that he was infected with COVID-19, but showed few symptoms and would “fight it out.”
Similarly, PPP lawmaker Rana Hamir Singh of the Sindh Assembly and Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani had also tested positive for the virus. Ghani has since recovered.
PTI MPA Abdul Salam Afridi of Mardan had also tested positive for the novel coronavirus last month and has since recovered. Another Sindh lawmaker, Syed Abdul Rasheed, has informed media that he and eight members of his family have tested positive for the virus.
Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan was urged to get himself tested after philanthropist Faisal Edhi reported he had tested positive for the virus less than a week after meeting the premier. His results have come back negative.
Pakistan currently has 16,817 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 385 deaths and 4,315 recoveries. The federal government insists that this is far less than expectations and the country is ready to proceed toward further easing of movement restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus.