Coronavirus: Pak PM Imran Khan silent as students trapped in Wuhan scramble for help

Even as the death toll from the Coronavirus in China rises to over 300 and infections continue to spread, Pakistan seems to have made up its mind that its citizens should be left there to show "solidarity" with ally China. Pakistan PM Imran Khan, who is often active on Twitter when it comes to bashing India, has maintained a deafening silence on the matter on the platform.

That Pakistani students trapped in the viral outbreak's epicentre Wuhan have posted videos on social media "pleading" for help and compared their government's response with that of India, doesn't seem to ruffle a feather in Islamabad. Last week, Pakistan confirmed that four of its students have been diagnosed with Coronavirus in China. There are up to 800 Pakistanis studying in various universities in Wuhan — a city of 11 million people that has been quarantined by the Chinese authorities.

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Excuse of WHO

Nonetheless, Pakistan has decided not to evacuate its nationals from China in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Special Assistant to PM Imran Khan on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said. Earlier on Friday, WHO chief had said travel restrictions can cause more harm than good by hindering info-sharing, medical supply chains and harming economies.

"We believe that right now, it is in the interest of our loved ones in China (to stay there). It is in the largest interest of the region, world, country that we don't evacuate them now," Mirza was quoted as saying by a prominent Pakistani daily. Neither has Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted on the issue nor did the principal spokeswomen in his ministry. 

India, on the other hand, has evacuated around 650 of its citizens from China, along with seven Maldivians. Countries like Japan, Germany, Bangladesh, Australia have all scrambled their airlines to get their citizens out.

READ | Pakistani Student Appeals To Imran Khan Government To Evacuate Citizens From Wuhan

Emotional appeal on social media

Such a relaxed attitude at a time when social media is getting flooded with videos from Pakistani students in Wuhan appealing for evacuation. A Pakistani student's emotional appeal to its government has gone viral since they have been stuck in Wuhan. He then went on to narrate that the students had already approached the authorities, and were redirected to the Chinese government.

In the 90-second video message, the student says, "I am a Pakistani student and my name is Nadeem Habaz. I am currently in Wuhan, where more than 500 Pakistanis are stuck. Yesterday, in my University itself, Coronavirus was detected in four Pakistani students and they are in a serious condition in hospitals. Thus, we had asked the Pakistan government and the Embassy to help us or to evacuate us from here because of the situation is worsening every day. Thousands of people have already been affected by the virus and many have died as well. The virus is spreading every day and till now, no solution has been found. Hence, I once again want to make a request to kindly rescue us."

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Pak President's ambiguous tweet on evacuating students from Wuhan 

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(Image credits: AP)