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Published 18:40 IST, February 2nd 2020

Pak envoy against evacuating students from Wuhan, says 'Pak cannot treat coronavirus'

Pakistan's envoy to China Naghmana Hashmi on Sunday stated that Pakistan's medical facilities were not able to treat a patient diagnosed with coronavirus

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Advising against evacuating Pakistani students in China's Wuhan province amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, Pakistan's envoy to China Naghmana Hashmi on Sunday stated that Pakistan's medical facilities were not able to treat a patient diagnosed with coronavirus, in an interview with Geo News. Furthermore, Hashmi has hailed the facilities in China saying it was equipped to treat the Pakistanis stuck in Wuhan. She said the government was monitoring the health of the 800 students in Wuhan and Quebec.

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Pak envoy advises against evacuation

"There are around 800 registered Pakistani students in China who are healthy till now. We know that there are 4 positive cases till now in Wuhan, which has worried some students. Chinese and Pakistani governments are working together to give good treatment to those affected. But it would be better if the students are not evacuated from here as the facilities in China to detect, treat and prevent the spread of the virus is not available in Pakistan, nor in any other country," she said to Pakistan's Geo News.

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Pakistan refuses to evacuate students

Similarly, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza too took to Twitter and announced that Pakistan will not evacuate students from Wuhan province in the larger interest. But he added that Pakistan has the capability of diagnosing Coronarivus in Pakistan. PM Imran Khan is yet to react to Pakistani students who have been stuck in Wuhan, asking to be rescued.

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Pakistani students in Wuhan appeal to PM Khan

 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, which doesn't seem to ruffle a feather in Islamabad. 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.

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18:40 IST, February 2nd 2020