Pakistani student in Wuhan misses father’s funeral, anxiety grows

From his dormitory in the locked down Chinese city of Wuhan, PhD student Hassan spoke to his father in Pakistan for the last time on Thursday. The 80-year-old begged him to come home.

The next day, Hassan’s father died of a heart ailment.

Hassan is one of more than 1,000 Pakistani students in China’s Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus. Some say they have been told by the government that it has had to rule out their return home for the moment.

Read more: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus

Other Pakistani students in Hubei share Hassan’s concerns and some are critical of the government’s response to the crisis. Other countries, including India and Bangladesh, evacuated citizens from Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, as the virus death toll rises.

The students and their families, including young children, are stuck indoors most of the day. Four students said depression and anxiety were growing, their feelings worsened by fears of catching the virus and uncertainty as to how long the conditions would last.

“My very dear students in China […] we are intensely discussing the situation @ highest level & will make the best decision in view of all factors with ref to devastating #coronavirus potential global pandemic,” Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said on Twitter on Sunday.

Hassan has contacted his university, who supported him leaving, and the embassy in Beijing. He said he was told by Chinese authorities in Hubei that he could be evacuated if the embassy in Beijing contacted them, but that had not occurred.

A Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that “for those countries that wish to take home their nationals, China will make relevant arrangements and offer necessary assistance consistent with international practices and our domestic epidemic control measures”.

Hassan said he had been told by an official on Monday that all students would be evacuated. But following a video conference call with the health and overseas citizens ministers, students in Wuhan said an imminent evacuation had been ruled out.

Officials had suggested the country did not have the necessary quarantine facilities, some students said.

A spokesman for Mirza said in a statement the health minister had expressed concern on the call for the students’ welfare and Chinese rules meant no one could leave Hubei, but the situation was being monitored.

“After this call we don’t have any hope from the government that they will evacuate students,” said Sahil Hassan, another Phd student in Wuhan, who listened to the call.

“We are all completely disappointed with them [the government].”