Pakistani scientist donates cash to help fight coronavirus in China

BEIJING – A Pakistani scientist, Dr Munawar Iqbal engaged in research at high-energy institutes in China had decided to stand strong with his Chinese friends and offered to work with the Chinese authorities to fight coronavirus epidemic in Hubei Province. 

He decided to stay in China with his family and also contributed a handsome amount to the Red Cross Society of Hubei province.

His 9-year old daughter, Zoha Munawar conveyed her blessings to the people in the affected areas through a video and expressed her determination to work with the Chinese to overcome the epidemic.

At present, this video has been broadcast through CCTV's new media platform-Central Video App.

Coronavirus outbreak in China

China on Thursday removed the top political leadership in Hubei, the province at the centre of the escalating coronavirus outbreak, shortly after health officials there reported 242 people died from the virus on Wednesday - more than twice the number of the previous day and the highest daily toll since the outbreak began. This has raised the death toll to 1,367. 

The province and its capital Wuhan where the infection now known as COVID-19 is thought to have originated in late December also reported more than 14,800 new cases of the infection after adopting new clinical methods to diagnose the virus.

The number of infected across China rose to 59,805.

Earlier this month, Zhang Qin, full-time deputy director of the Hubei branch of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), was removed from office for dereliction of duty in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic.

Mr Zhang was also dismissed from the leading party members group of the RCSC Hubei branch committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and given a serious intra-party warning as well as a serious administrative demerit, it said.

An investigation showed that certain officials and cadres with the RCSC Hubei branch failed to take responsibility when receiving and distributing donated funds and relief goods in the effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus epidemic that originated in the provincial capital Wuhan.

They were also found to have violated regulations and be responsible for information disclosure errors, the commission said in a notice.