As Coronavirus shows no signs of ceasing, countries across the world are evacuating its citizens from China and are also taking punitive actions against China with Myanmar even sending a Chinese flight back to China after a passenger showed symptoms of coronavirus upon landing in Myanmar. India has not only successfully evacuated its citizens, it has also temporarily suspended e-visa facility for the Chinese and the foreigners residing in China.
On the other hand, Pakistan has steadfastly refused to evacuate its citizens to show solidarity with the Chinese government despite the complaints of its students residing in China. In India, where the evacuated students are dancing, the 800 odd Pakistani students in Wuhan are pleading and crying for help but the Imran Khan government couldn’t care less.
Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi has invoked the Holy Prophet to defend the Imran Khan government’s decision to not help the Pakistani students.
Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi took to Twitter and defended the government’s decision to not evacuate the Pakistani students as he claimed that the Prophet himself advocated that if a plague happens to come out in a place where one is residing, then one should not leave that place.
In his tweet, Alvi cited Prophet Mohammad and said, “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it, but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”
Not only Alvi, Dr Zafar Mirza, a special assistant to the Prime minister on National Health Services, had said, “We believe it is in the interest of our loved ones in China to stay there. It’s in the larger interest of the region, the world, and the country that we don’t evacuate them now”.
Alvi and Mirza’s argument spread like wildfire and much to the dismay of the helpless Pakistani students in Wuhan, many in Pakistan bought their argument. As Pakistani student Aisha Bajwa pleaded for help on Twitter, a majority of Pakistanis defended the Imran Khan government as they claimed that the students must stay there even if they die as Islamic law dictated so.
Prophet's ﷺ directions regarding disease outbreaks are a good guide even 2day “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it, but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place” (Bukhari & Muslim) Let us help those stuck there.
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) January 31, 2020
Its better to shift students from wuhan to another place in China, and if our govt is very poor and can't do anything just request chinese govt to do their screening for 15 days and then let them go to pakistan.#WuhanCoronavirus pic.twitter.com/Ip55OnhSko
— Aisha Bajwa (@AyeshaB53627449) February 1, 2020
Alvi’s tweet was met with widespread outrage and was forced to do a volte-face as he later tweeted that the students should be helped and brought back to Pakistan after fulfilling all the International health requirements.
It was surprising to see that Pakistan’s President who himself is a dentist make such insensitive statements. I am no expert in Islam but surely, the Holy Prophet wouldn’t want his children to be left to die in a foreign country.
After having refused to evacuate its students from Wuhan to stand in solidarity with the Chinese, multiple videos have gone viral where the Pakistani students cane be seen slamming the Imran Khan government for their meek surrender to the Chinese government and their refusal to help its own citizens especially at a time of grave crisis as now even the governments of Jordan and Bangladesh have evacuated their citizens from Wuhan.
Really sad. A Pakistani student in #Wuhan watching his Indian counterparts being evacuated. The students have been left to their fate by #Pakistan government. #coronarovirus pic.twitter.com/OT3kmDyT7I
— Snehesh Alex Philip (@sneheshphilip) February 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/waniarshi/status/1223617289284505601?s=20
It is no wonder that when the Pakistani students approached their embassy in China, the officials told the students that “Zindagi aur maut Allah ke haath mein hai”.
https://twitter.com/aadil_khan01/status/1223579922490220544?s=20
According to reports, at least five Pakistani students have tested positive for the deadly virus and their condition is up in the air as China is becoming apocalyptic. The Chinese government has quarantined 50 million people and the law enforcement officers are walking the streets of Wuhan with semi-automatic rifles, sparking fears that China might be up to something nefarious.
It is the fundamental duty of the Imran Khan government to protect its own citizens. A government which fails to protect its own citizens especially at the time of crisis is a government of cowards. It seems that the fate of Pakistani students is now indeed in the hands of God as Pakistan government has seemingly turned a blind eye to their plight.