On Pakistan’s special request, Chinese authorities allowed a two member special task force from Pakistan Embassy Beijing to go to Wuhan city to meet our students in different universities and get first- hand information on their well- being and safety.
The task force is permanently deployed in Wuhan and coordinating with Chinese authorities. The task force would return to their homes in Beijing once the lockdown in Wuhan is lifted in its entirety and on-ground situation is completely stabilized.
The task members, Third Secretary Junaid and Education Attaché Suleman reached Wuhan city yesterday. Today, they visited Pakistani students in four universities. They also met administrative staff in each university to get first -hand information on the well being and needs of our students. Tomorrow they will visit our students in three other universities and the administrative staff in those universities to ensure that the daily needs and safety of our students in being ensured.
All the students in the universities visited today are safe, healthy and well looked after.
Since the first day of lockdown of Hubei Province due to corona virus infection, Embassy of Pakistan has played an active role to provide utmost facilitation to Pakistani students in Hubei Province in particular and China in general. Embassy has maintained a close liaison with Pakistani students and Chinese government at various tiers to provide assistance to Pakistani students. The steps taken by Embassy included:
Embassy immediately established two 24/7 hotlines for facilitation of Pakistani students in China. The hotline numbers are: (i) 18501322992 and, (ii) 13167543373. Embassy is also responding to queries of students being received on its three email addresses.
Under the supervision of Ambassador of Pakistan, an 11-member core group was constituted to daily monitor the evolving situation and respond to queries/ requests of Pakistani students.
The Embassy maintained extensive coordination with Pakistani students and has helped to resolve various issues faced by them.
The Embassy also organized a video conference of Pakistani student in Wuhan with Dr. Zafar Mirza, Minister of State for Health and Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bokhari, Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis.
Ambassador of Pakistan has also continued video messaging to Pakistani students for reassurance and encouragement.
From the first day of lockdown on 23 January 2020, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued instructions to relevant authorities for safety and well-being of Pakistani students in Hubei Province and China. The State Councilor is personally monitoring the condition of Pakistani students on a daily basis.
The Chinese government has given complete re-assurance that it regards well-being and safety of Pakistani students as important as of their own nationals and would make all efforts to their satisfaction.
Chinese government took measures to ensure the provision of basic amenities to Pakistani students including food and water availability; regular medical checkup; spray of disinfectant in students’ dormitories and residential places.
Health checks like twice daily monitoring of body temperatures, provision of protective masks and gloves.
All those in need of any medical attention are provided immediate and best available medical care. Similarly, there is provision of psychological counseling is also to those facing stress and depression.
Three Pakistani students at Guangzhou city and one in Wuhan who were infected by the coronavirus infection have fully recovered and discharged from the hospitals.
The situation in Wuhan and Hubei Province is showing increased signs of improvement. The number of daily reported infected cases is gradually decreasing, the markets and shopping places are being opened and courier services have been resumed.
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