PM urges world to consider writing off loans of developing countries to help cope with coronavirus

March 17, 2020: Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the world community to consider writing off loans of developing countries like Pakistan to help them cope with the coronavirus.

In an exclusive interview with Associated Press, he feared the coronavirus will devastate the economies of developing nations.

Imran Khan said if a serious outbreak happens in Pakistan, his government's efforts to lift the ailing economy out of near collapse would begin an unstoppable slide backward. He said exports would fall off, unemployment would soar, and an onerous national debt would become an impossible burden.

Referring to the health infrastructure constraints of different countries and regions, he said we just do not have the capability and the resources to deal with the virus.

Imran Khan further called for lifting sanctions against Iran. He said Iran is a classic example of a place where the humanitarian imperative to contain the outbreak outweighs political rivalries or economic dogmas.

Radio Pakistan