Students languishing in Wuhan: IHC tells officials to file report about evacuation measures

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Saturday issued notices to the secretaries of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Health Service regarding measures to evacuate Pakistani students from Wuhan, epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed secretary Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination to file report about what steps the government has taken so far for evacuation of Pakistani citizens, particularly the students who are being kept in detention in the area in China, where the virus has originated.

The Chief Justice on Friday reserved the verdict after hearing the petitioner's arguments.

Petitioner Mian Muhammad Faisal has contended that the coronavirus outbreak has so far killed over 200 people in China, triggering panic the world over as many countries are evacuating their nationals from China's high-risk areas.

He added that there are thousands of students from Pakistan studying in China and of them around 500 students are in Wuhan. The petitioner said many countries have issued a travel advisory and are taking precautionary measures to block the spread of the deadly disease.

The petitioner's counsel Jahangir Khan Jadoon had contended before the bench on Friday last that the respondents have not taken adequate measures so as to assure to its citizens protection against the spread of coronavirus. He requested the court to direct the government to explain what arrangements are in place to tackle such a deadly virus in Pakistan and especially in the federal capital.

He further demanded that the government should place before the court precise information regarding the Pakistani citizens in China and how many have been affected by this virus till date and what measures so far have been taken to evacuate them as well as other people from the high-risk areas.

The case was fixed for hearing on 11th February.