A verdict has been reserved in the Islamabad High Court for a petition over shifting Pakistani students from China.
IHC judge Justice Athar Minallah conducting the hearing in which he directed the authorities of the government to move Pakistani students from Wuhan due to the epicentre of coronavirus.
The petition was moved to the IHC by petitioner Mian Muhammad Faisal in which he mentioned the secretaries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Health as respondents.
While Pakistan itself remains protected so far, four of its students studying in various institutions in Wuhan city are confirmed to have been infected with Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the new viral infection that originated from China and has spread to 18 countries, with 6,052 confirmed cases and 132 deaths as of January 29.
In a video message circulating on the social media, a Wuhan-based Pakistani student has appealed to the government of Pakistan to expedite evacuation of the 500 Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, now that their universities have also sent out emails, advising them to leave for their respective countries. “When we first requested our government and the Embassy for evacuation, we were told to cooperate with the Chinese government. However, the situation here is worsening with every passing day. We want to get out of here. Our families and relatives are concerned and want us back in Pakistan. Even our universities have advised us to leave. Please do something for us before we die,” the student appealed.
