by Yasir Habib Khan

 

WUHAN, Apr.10 (Gwadar Pro) - After almost 430 days, the outdoor activities of Pakistani students in Wuhan are completely restored, marking a thunderous sign of lockdown-free life with heralding to the world that hundreds of Pakistani students along with the Chinese government fought well and defeated the Pandemic at a time when other nations are still challenged.   

 

Regarding the normalization of outdoor activities, Pakistani students for the first time have organized a grand "picnic party" under the auspices of the administration of Central China Normal University and triggered a full-blown memo to everyone that Wuhan has won the liberation from the Pandemic and reinstated the routine student life, a hallmark of Wuhan studentship.  

 

The full-day picnic party was free from masks, social distancing, and other SOPs that were earlier indispensable to follow. Anyhow, only in thickly-crowded places like subways and big shopping plaza, people prefer to wear masks for their precaution measures.   

 

Since 23 January 2020 when lockdown crippled the entire bustling life especially students' activities in and out of campuses in Wuhan, it is the first time that a boisterous and flamboyant picnic party has been organized.  

 

The fun-packed picnic party featured a visit to Eastern Lake, hiking, barbeque, music, dance, food gala, and long-hour walks in the streets and roads once had lost their lusters, crowds' chirping,  foot flows rumbles, eateries rush, strollers laughs, and shoppers throngs.    

 

Students also enjoyed nightlife with sightseeing of multiple lamp lights, digital boards on facades of buildings, and lighted city highlights.  

 

Naseem Baloch, a student from Central China Normal University, said that arrangement of "Picnic Party", a part and parcel of extra-curricular activities of student life, has offered us a fresh breather after city is restored to the normal routine. "Approximately all students have received the first dose of their Covid-19 vaccine so far," he added and said the next dose is shortly to be administered.  

 

"For the picnic, University heads specially provided us with grill structures, water, and others," he added  

 

"Accompanied by teachers and administration, we (Pakistani students and other foreign students) mingled with one another at gala day on large scale. Despite belonging to different cultures, religions, races, languages, and food choices, students cooked their own-styled food and exchanged with one another," he added.  

 

At Eastern Lake, he said, it was soothing to see other gatherings especially senior citizens (male, females) and kids who had flocked there passing their leisure time in the ambiance of fearlessness from Corona infection once that gripped the city of 11 million people. "We also played some sports and get amused with natural sceneries."   

 

"Unrestrained life is now the order of the day," Ali Abbas, a student of the same university said. At a time when the Pandemic reigned, there was a complete ban to go outside the university campus. Within the university, we were allowed to meet for few hours three times a day while observing SOPs. Sports were forbidden," he added and said now the situation had changed. "Students now do not need permission to venture out. We are back to normal," he added.  

 

One student, Ahsan Mehmood Kha, revealed that Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haq visited Wuhan University last week on April 7 and discussed with Pakistani students about launching joint activities in terms of the 70th anniversary of Pak-China diplomatic relations. "He listened to our issues and promised to cater to them accordingly," Rana Danish Nisar, a Pakistani student said.   

 

 "The Chinese government has taken care of Pakistani students as if they are our own," said Peng Zhengwu, the deputy consul general at the Chinese Consulate, Lahore. "They are being provided all facilities."

 

Approximately 500 students from Pakistan are currently enrolled in different universities across the city. Overall, around 28,000 students are studying multiple disciples in numerous educational institutions in China.