Whilst the coronavirus outbreak in China has caused a global scare, some countries have begun flying their citizens out of the country. Pakistani students trapped in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, have also been pleading with Islamabad for their return home. Meanwhile, voices are rising high inside and outside parliament for the relocation of students and other Pakistani citizens from China. Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu issued a statement on Thursday accusing the Foreign Office of not responding positively to his province's request for repatriation of its "1,000" students studying in Wuhan (other reports say the number from all across the country in that city is a little over 500) demanding that they be brought back home. Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbas informed the National Assembly, however, that 28,000 Pakistani students are studying in various Chinese universities. Responding to some complaints about food shortages, she also explained that the government there was providing food to them on a daily basis. They are also offered online food delivery facility. The government since has announced putting $ 840 in the bank account of each student so they can buy online food.
Their anxiety is understandable. But it is a complex problem, with far more serious implications than many in this country are willing or able to recognise. On Thursday, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood said in the National Assembly that the government was considering bringing Pakistani citizens back home. The next day Adviser to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza, told journalists the government had decided not to evacuate Pakistanis from China for fear of the epidemic spreading across Pakistan. That seemed to be a sensible decision in view of the fact that even though on Friday the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency for coronavirus - scientifically known as Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCOV) - amid mounting evidence of the virus spreading to some 18 countries, it also advised member states not to evacuate their citizens from China. For, that country has been responding to the challenge in a responsible and transparent manner right from the beginning, slowing down the spread of the virus by locking down the worst-affected areas and sharing information with the world. And its medical facilities are effectively dealing with the challenge. Four Pakistanis infected with the virus are reported to be improving in China.
That is important. As the WHO Director-General noted at a presser in Geneva "our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems." Unfortunately, Pakistan falls in this category. It seems to be the main reason behind government's reluctance to evacuate its citizens. Nevertheless, it needs to offer reassurance to its panicked citizens. PTI Senator Shibli Faraz informed the upper house of Parliament on Friday that the decision not to evacuate is not definitive, if the situation changes people will be moved out on that basis. Instead of waiting for the situation to take a turn for the worse, the government ought to act with a sense of urgency. It should bring back Pakistanis as soon as possible, making foolproof screening and quarantine arrangements to ensure they do not pass on the virus to others.
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