Pakistan to resume flight operations to China
- 03 Feb 2020
An aviation official said that Pakistan will resume flight operations to China.
Due to the deadly outbreak of the coronavirus which originated from China, Pakistan along with other countries had stopped all flight operations from China.
The suspension of flights were announced on 31st January.
The flights will resume from Monday 3rd of February as the notification of the flight suspension was issued until Feb 2nd.
"Southern China Airlines's flight carrying 150 passengers will land at the Islamabad airport on Monday at 9 in the morning," Khokhar said, adding that the notification regarding the flights suspension was issued till February 2.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan government was also ramping up its defences against the contagion virus with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa declaring its five northern districts "most sensitive" due to fear of the mysterious illness.
Administration officials identified these districts as Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra and Abbottabad.
"We are on high alert due to the movement of Chinese citizens in the region," Altaf Hussain, the deputy commissioner of Battagram, told The Express Tribune.
Almost 500 Pakistanis are studying in various universities of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak which is in virtual lockdown.
Last week, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Zafar Mirza said that at least four Pakistani students tested positive for the mysterious pathogen.
But on Saturday, Mirza said that the decision of non-repatriation of Pakistani citizens from China was final, saying that the government had "complete trust" in Beijing's policies to combat the epidemic.
He further said that a comprehensive plan had been devised to ensure that when flights from China to Pakistan resume, passengers are screened properly.
On Sunday, Mirza confirmed that all the seven suspected coronavirus patients in Pakistan tested negative.
Indo-Asian News Service
