India criticises Pakistan for raising Kashmir during SAARC video-conference

India has criticised Pakistan for raising Kashmir during the SAARC video-conference earlier this week.

Briefing media in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said it was not a political platform, but a humanitarian one and Islamabad misused it. He also said the emergency SAARC fund proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the video conference to combat coronavirus was operationalised and India has received requests from member countries for assistance.

External Affairs Ministry also said it is being planned to evacuate the next batch of



Indians from Italy over the coming weekend. Additional Secretary in the MEA, Dammu Ravi said India has evacuated 590 people from Iran where the situation is very severe. The Indians infected with coronavirus in Iran have been segregated and taken care of, very well. Mr Ravi expressed belief that they will recover and be brought to India. 

He also said the ministry was strengthening its COVID-19 control room. Right now, 25-30 people are working in the control room in shifts. The control room gets about 400 e-mails and 1,000 calls in a day.