A large number of parents and relatives of Pakistani students studying in China staged a protest demonstration outside Karachi Press Club demanding the repatriation of all the students from Wuhan city of China, where they are kept inside their rooms or homes due to the viral epidemic Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Many countries including neighbouring India have airlifted their students from China, but Pakistan has refused to repatriate its citizens as according to authorities Chinese government is taking care of the Pakistani students very well.
“Wapas Lao Wapas Law, Hamare Bache Wapas Lao (bring back our children)” chanted the protesting relatives.
Carrying banners and placards, a large number of males and females, children and a wheel-chaired woman were demanding Prime Minister Imran Khan, Army Chief and politicians including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to bring back their loved ones who are stranded in Wuhan city, where over 1500 people have died of viral infection and thousands are under treatment as Pakistan government had decided to keep them in China due to non-availability of effective quarantine and healthcare facilities at home.
According to reports, there were a total of 1300 Pakistani students enrolled in 25 universities of Wuhan before the outbreak of the Coronavirus epidemic but due to vacations about 500 students had already left the city but 800 were still stranded.
“We just want to see our children back in Pakistan as we don’t demand the government to make arrangements for their air tickets,” said a male speaker adding “we only want our children to be given permission to come back from Wuhan,” he added.
A woman said their children were kept in jail-like conditions in their homes and they were facing strict surveillance and restrictions despite the fact none of them is infected by the disease.
Some elderly women were weeping and said they felt helpless as the government has left the Pakistani student at the mercy of the Chinese and no politician or media is raising their voices for bringing back Pakistani students.
A man contacted a girl student living in China on his small phone and showed the girl’s face (which was covered with a mask) and said she was trying to tell their ordeal.
After some time of the protest, the protesters disperse peacefully.
No comments:
Post a Comment