Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, was on Thursday spotted holding a meeting with his “media team”.

In a picture tweeted by Information Minister Shibli Faraz, the premier was seen sitting with him as well as Senator Faisal Javed Khan among others.

Netizens reacted to the picture rather strongly over the fact that the picture showing infected PM with at least seven others was taken in the midst of a global pandemic.

As a result, Senator Faisal Javed, who had also tweeted the same picture, deleted it. He, however, retweeted a party worker, saying that the premier was “doing well” and “holding meetings following [coronavirus] SOPs”.

When approached for a comment over the potential risk the meeting posed to the health of attendees, premier’s digital media aide Dr Arslan Khalid said that he wasn’t part of it so couldn’t exactly comment on the duration of the meeting or what kind of precautions were taken.

“But from the released pictures it appears that doors and windows of the room were open with at least 10 feet or more distance between participants and the PM, that too with everyone in masks.”

To a question regarding sharing such pictures with media considering the third wave of COVID-19, he said public messaging was very important and it should have been avoided. “Even though all SOPs must have been followed, a picture alone can’t convey all details,” he added.

Speaking to The Current, one of the attendees of Thursday’s meeting, Senator Faisal Javed, said that it was likely that the premier contracted the virus while holding meetings with parliamentarians ahead of Senate elections.

“This means that it remained undetected but it has been quite a lot of days since he got infected and is probably healthy now.”

When asked as to what message the picture sent to the nation at a time when awareness on social distancing and isolation needs to be raised during a deadly third wave of the virus, the senator said that to him it showed how SOPs were being followed and the premier was still working.

It merits a mention that PM Imran had tested positive for COVID-19 last Saturday. However, reports suggest that he had been showing symptoms for quite some time.