by Yasir Habib Khan

Dr. Mirza confirms full recovery of Pakistani students affected by novel coronavirus【Photo/China Economic Net】

ISLAMABAD, Feb.13 (China Economic Net) - Almost all four Pakistanis students who remained under intense medical treatment after contracting novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been finally recovered completely.

The development has allowed run free a sense of contentment and happiness among all Pakistan student community in Wuhan, Hubei province, epicenter of novel coronavirus outbreak.  

The students are Abdul Wahab and Anwarullah from Central China Normal University and Muhammad Asif, and Abdul Basit from Huazhong University of Science & Technology (HUST).  Being bestowed of best medical care by Chinese authorities, they won against the epidemic.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr. Zafar Mirza also confirmed the recovery of the students.

This revelation will definitely help ease tension and soften petition filed at Islamabad High Court (IHC) that ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to give second thought of not evacuating Pakistani citizens from China in wake of novel coronavirus outbreak within two weeks.

Court disclosed that 23 countries including Bangladesh had managed to take their citizens back from China. It is pertinent to mention that among 23 countries that evacuated their citizens, still there are 194 countries which citizens decided to stay even Bangladesh had also withdrawn its decision.

Muhammad Asad, who is graduate from Wuhan University and now working in private company in Wuhan said that among four Pakistani students, Muhammad Asif was first case and as he was quarantined early so he recovered first. Rest of them have been recovered later, he added.

“Pakistani students are not the exception as there were other thousands of students from various nationalities are staying in their respective universities and they disfavored evacuation strategy.” he added.

According to official of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassy was in continual direct contact of Chinese authorities to provide all possible relief to Pakistan students. A Pakistani student, Smoot Muhammad from Hubei province who got quarantined after he tried to fly from Shanghai Airport for medical treatment. Pakistan Consulate in Shanghai bore all his expenses, he added. “They also provided RMB 8600 yuan to students in a university for food”, he pointed out.

A Pakistan student Maqsood ur Rehman from China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) said on the ground students were being provided all possible facilities.  Another student Amjad Hussain from the same university appealed to Pakistani parents not to be worried as all measures being taken so far are meeting the daily needs. “We are safe definitely and evacuation will never serve the purpose,” he added.

World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus firmly recommended for no evacuation from Wuhan.  He said there was no need to overreact and people should remain calm.  

Yasir Habib Khan, Special Correspondent of China Economic Net, President of Institute of International Relations and Media Research