Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Price of Face masks skyrocketed in Pakistan on Sunday after thirty-one cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the country.

According to reports, masks have either disappeared from medical stores in the city or are being sold at exorbitant prices across the metropolis.

A medical store owner told private news, a box of ordinary surgical masks that would have ordinarily cost somewhere between Rs300 to 400 is now being sold for more than Rs4,000.

Two days ago, State Minister of Health of Pakistan Dr Zafar Mirza has been accused of smuggling 20 million face masks abroad.

According to the details, the Pharmacists Association has alleged that Federal Minister Dr Zafar Mirza smuggled a face mask with the connivance of deputy director of DRAP Ghazanfar Ali.

The FIA officials have taken action against the complaint and FIA Additional Director General has sought a report from Director North Islamabad within 15 days.

Despite a ban by the government of Pakistan on the export of masks, nearly 10,000 N-95 masks and more than 3,600 ordinary regular masks were exported to China. Six companies were given special permission to export masks to China, leading to a shortage in the country.