China has donated Covid-19 vaccines for Pakistan's armed forces, a statement by the military's media affairs wing said on Monday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had donated vaccines, making Pakistan's military the first foreign military to receive vaccine assistance from Beijing.

"However, keeping with the Pakistan armed forces’ traditional spirit of 'nation comes first, always and every time’ it has been decided to contribute the complete donation to the national vaccination drive [for] frontline healthcare workers across Pakistan who are the real heroes fighting against the pandemic and saving precious lives," the statement said.

"Pakistan’s armed forces extend their deepest gratitude to PLA and the People’s Republic of China for this magnanimous donation during testing times," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar lauded the military leadership's decision to donate the vaccines, adding that it was consistent with the government's decision of giving first priority to healthcare workers.

Last week, vaccination drives against the novel coronavirus started simultaneously in all federating units of the country, days after 500,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in Islamabad as a gift from China.