Coronavirus: Government decides not to repatriate Pakistanis

The government of Pakistan has decided that it will not evacuate Pakistanis from coronavirus-hit China, said Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health (SAPM) Dr Zafar Mirza on Thursday.

While addressing a press conference along with Foreign Office (FO) spokespersons here, Dr Zafar Mirza said that as per the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the government of Pakistan has decided in principle to not evacuate stranded Pakistanis from Wuhan and other parts of China following coronavirus breakout. He said that so far 170 people have been killed by the coronavirus and another 7,831 people have been positively diagnosed including four Pakistani students.

He said that the government will demonstrate responsible behavior and not become a part in spreading the virus as the Pakistanis in China are being treated in the best possible ways.

He said that on January 7, 2020 first coronavirus patient was positively tested in Wuhan, China, following which the Chinese government developed a kit to treat the virus and the best available treatment of the disease is only available in China; so keeping in view the interest of Pakistanis and global community, the government of Pakistan has decided against evacuating Pakistanis from China.

Dr Mirza said the government of Pakistan stands with its Chinese counterpart and would respect the directions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Beijing, saying evacuating the people from China can help spread the virus globally.

"We don't want to take any emotional decision which will cause this virus to spread further," he said. "It is also our responsibility to ensure that our citizens in Wuhan are being properly taken care of and see to it whether or not they are being provided food or items of daily use," he added.

"This decision of not evacuating Pakistanis is what the WHO as well as Chinese government has recommended and this is what China's policy is," he said. "This is also our policy."

Dr Mirza said the government will ensure proper checks to keep the coronavirus from spreading when "the situation improves." He said the government will ensure proper screening at entry and exit points of the country and place under observation those who are at risk of carrying this deadly virus.

He said that a 'Coronavirus Core Committee' has been constituted which comprised the country's top health experts. Dr Mirza said the committee will provide its recommendations on a daily basis.

Dr Mirza said the government's decision not to evacuate its people from Wuhan does not mean that it doesn't care about Pakistani citizens. He said that Islamabad is abreast with the facilities being provided to Pakistani citizens in Wuhan.

"I can show you many messages from Pakistani students in Wuhan who have told us that the Chinese authorities are taking very good care of them," he said.

He appreciated the policies of the WHO, saying that Pakistan and China are both members of the global body. He said the WHO has not recommended any member countries to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan.

Dr Mirza credited China for effectively tackling the virus and said that not only Pakistan but countries around the world are appreciating the measures the Chinese government has taken.

Speaking on the occasion, the FO spokesperson said the Pakistani embassy in China is not only connected with four Pakistani consulates in China but is also sharing all kinds of information with the government about Pakistanis stranded in Wuhan. She said that it is in the "larger interest of the world" to not evacuate people from Wuhan, saying so far no country has evacuated citizens from China except the US which has lifted only some of its diplomatic staff.