Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday asked countries that are presently producing coronavirus vaccines to increase production and ensure speedy distribution to everybody, including developing countries. While addressing the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2021, the prime minister said, “While the support offered by some major nations is commendable, more needs to be done.” He earlier remarked that the forum is being held “at a critical moment in human history”. “The world is facing an unprecedented triple challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic; the reversal of economic progress; and the existential threat posed by climate change,” he said. He commended the “excellent role” played by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and “the entire UN system’s relief and recovery efforts in the wake of the pandemic”. Speaking of Pakistan’s efforts to fight COVID-19, the prime minister said that the country has been “more fortunate than other countries”. “Through our policies of ‘smart lockdowns’ and focus on the disadvantaged, we have been able to somehow contain the virus. We managed to save precious lives and at the same time livelihoods,” he said. PM Imran Khan appreciated the international recognition of Pakistan’s pandemic containment strategy and the Ehsaas social protection programme. “We are now making all possible efforts to accelerate our vaccination campaign,” he said.