Rehman Malik asks govt to bring back stranded Pakistani students

Islamabad: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator A. Rehman Malik has criticized the government for its decision to not bring back Pakistani students stranded in China in fear of coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan.

On Thursday, in the Senate House during debate on the issue of stranded Pakistanis, he urged the government to bring back Pakistani students stuck in the different cities of China who are appealing for their early rescue to their country.

He said that other countries have already evacuated their citizens from China and there is no reason for the government to not evacuate Pakistani citizens. He urged the government to bring back the citizens and to isolate them in a particular area. “We have been unable to treat tuberculosis, polio and measles, so treating coronavirus is out of the question,” he said.

He informed the House that he has already taken suo-moto notice of the Pakistani students Stranded in China after the breakout of Coronavirus in different provinces of the China and has asked the Ministry of Interior to take all the measures for their safe return. He said that the spread of the Coronavirus in China has created chaos and scare throughout the world and Pakistani citizens are equally at risk.

He said that many Pakistani students stranded in China have contacted him and has received many messages from the parents of the students demanding for the arrangements of safe return of their children at the earliest. He has shown his serious concern over the matter as other countries have

already evacuated their citizens and students from China but Pakistani students have not yet been rescued. He said that they are suffering because of the non-availability of food and restriction on their movements in their hostels while their parents are desperately waiting for their children to come back to Pakistan. He said that he is sad that our children are not being provided any help by the Pakistani authorities in coordination with China.

He has asked the Ministry of Interior to take up the issue with Chinese authorities for taking care of food, medicine and safety of the stranded Pakistani students.

Senator A. Rehman Malik asked the Ministry of Interior that all the Airlines should be asked to provide the list of the passengers, their origin of flights with details and all should be screened for coronavirus at their arrival at airports throughout the country.

He said that all measures should be taken to stop the spread of Coronavirus in Pakistan.

Meanwhile in a statement, Senator A. Rehman Malik has shown his resentment on finishing of Benazir Card on flimsy grounds. He said if there were some reported irregularities then it should have been investigated and actions under the law should have been taken against those who involved. He said there are irregularities in many other departments in Federal, Punjab and KPK which are full of corruptions but their names have not been changed by the PIT government.

He added that it is a wrong tradition set by PTI government to stop a program under the name of great national and international leader Benazir Bhutto. He said that it shows prejudice and short-sightedness of PTI government while dealing with national institutions.

He said “I call upon the government to immediately restore and continue the Programme under the name of Benazir Bhutto”. While paying rich tribute to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto he said that she fought for Pakistan and its people against terrorism and scarified her life hence the great leader name should not have been removed under political vendetta against PPP.