Treating stranded students 'like our own’, China assures Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi has assured his Pakistani counterpart that the stranded Pakistani students in coronavirus-hit China are being treated “like our own”.

The Chinese government is doing everything to ensure the safety, health and well-being of Pakistani students, he said in a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday.

Qureshi thanked the Chinese authorities for extending full support and assistance to the Pakistani students in Wuhan and hoped that Beijing will continue to take best possible measures for the protection of Pakistani nationals in China, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a statement.

The World Health Organisation declared a global emergency over the new coronavirus, as China reported Friday the death toll had climbed to 213 with nearly 10,000 infections.

Almost 500 Pakistanis are studying in various universities of Wuhan, which is in virtual lockdown, while the total number of Pakistani nationals in China is between 28,000 and 30,000 – most of them are students.

Earlier this week, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza disclosed that at least four Pakistani students tested positive for the mysterious pathogen.

On Thursday, the federal government said it would not evacuate Pakistani citizens – mostly students – from Wuhan.

During today’s telephonic conversation, Foreign Minister Qureshi conveyed his condolences on the loss of precious lives and lauded the relentless efforts undertaken by the Chinese government for the containment of the virus. He assured his Chinese counterpart that the government and the people of Pakistan stood firmly behind China in its resolute and momentous efforts to deal with the virus.

On behalf of the government, the foreign minister offered sending a field hospital to China, as well as sending group of doctors, to assist the neighbouring country in the recovery efforts.

FM Qureshi also hoped that the Chinese people under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang will overcome the enormous challenge and emerge stronger in its aftermath.

State Councilor Wang Yi, on behalf of Premier Li Keqiang, conveyed a special message of gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan underlining that Pakistan had shown tremendous support and solidarity with the Chinese people at this difficult time when they were fighting against spread of coronavirus.

He thanked Pakistan for the assistance it was rendering to help China deal with the outbreak of virus.

The Chinese foreign minister stressed that China was taking effective, speedy, and urgent measures to contain the virus as recognised by the global community. “The Director General of World Health Organisation has expressed full confidence in China’s abilities and efforts to contain the virus,” he added.

Wang Yi thanked Foreign Minister Qureshi for Pakistan’s offer of medical hospital as well sending a group of doctors to China.

Infected students in stable condition

Pakistani officials have confirmed that four Pakistani students in Wuhan have been tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Pakistan’s ambassador in China said on Friday that the infected students were out of danger.

“All four of them are in hospitals and are improving. We are also monitoring their health conditions regularly and according to the Chinese doctors, they are recovering quickly,” Naghmana Alamgir Hashmi told the state-run APP news agency.

Currently in hospitals in Shenzhen and Guangdong, these students had come from Wuhan. “They were diagnosed at an initial stage. They are being provided complete medical care and according to the doctors, they will soon fully recover,” she added.

A group of nearly 150 Pakistani nationals stuck at the airport in Urmuqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, have made a video appeal for their evacuation. The Pakistani citizens – mostly students and their families, and some traders – have been trapped at the airport for several days.

Ambassador Naghmana said Pakistan’s Embassy has ensured that all Pakistanis trapped at Urmuqi airport have a hotel accommodation and food available to them till the time the China Southern Airlines resumes flights. “Chinese authorities in Beijing and Urumqi are assuring that all our nationals stranded in Urumqi are well taken care of,” she added.

‘Under observation for 14 days’

In Islamabad, a parliamentary panel was, meanwhile, informed that the government has decided to keep all Chinese visitors under observation for 14 days in Pakistan. PM’s top aide Zafar Mirza told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health that Chinese authorities have assured that the 538 Pakistani students in Wuhan were well taken care of.

He defended the government decision not to evacuate the Pakistani students from the epicentre of the viral outbreak. The WHO has advised its member states against evacuating citizens from Wuhan. “We might not be able to control viral outbreak which is spreading quickly,” he added.

Chinese authorities have put Wuhan city under quarantine in an effort to stem the spread of the pathogen. Chinese researchers, aided by US experts, have contained the virus within seven days, he said. “They have also developed diagnostic kits,” he added while clarifying that the novel coronavirus is not as deadly as it is being portrayed to be because its mortality rate is 2.2%.

Flights to and from China halted

Pakistan has halted flights to and from China with immediate effect, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a notification on Friday. “All direct flight operations between Pakistan and China are to be stalled on an immediate basis initially till February 2,” it added. The decision is subject to “subsequent review”.

Asked by the Reuters news agency, Additional Secretary of Aviation Abdul Sattar Khokhar declined to comment on the reason for the closure. Some airlines, including British Airways, have suspended flights to China due to warnings of the coronavirus outbreak.

(With additional input from AGENCIES)