Pakistan has decided to send its first flight to Wuhan on May 18 to repatriate its students from Wuhan, China.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistani Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari made the announcement on Twitter. “I’m very happy for the 1st flight going to Wuhan to bring back our Pakistani students on 18/05/2020,” he wrote.
“You guys have been the bravest soldiers, PM Imran Khan & Pakistan are proud of you,” he added.
Earlier in January, when the coronavirus had not spread all over the world, Pakistani students in China had said that they were terrified and were “being kept in one room.” It was learnt that a few of the students had been tested for coronavirus amid a hysteria that had spread throughout the world.
When the news broke out that the students were in a difficult situation, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza had said that it was not advisable to evacuate Pakistanis from China, noting that the government would demonstrate responsible behaviour and not become a part in spreading the virus.
After the government’s decision, the Foreign Office (FO) had also ramped up efforts to provide relief to the stranded students.
Meanwhile, parents of the stranded students had filed a petition in court seeking the repatriation of their children. Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah had asked the parents to trust the state as it is taking the right measures given the circumstances.
