The WHO has, however, cautioned that this may be too early to say that the worst may be over. While the threat may remain and a cogent vaccine or outright cure is still some way off, the fact remains that China has acted quickly to curtail the spread of the virus within its borders. It has even earned rare plaudits from US President Donald Trump. This is a welcome statement in light of the global threat posed by such a virus. Such crises cannot and should not become the responsibility of a single country or organisation. Rather, countries and organisations across the world must pool resources to find an effective antidote to the virus quickly for mutual benefit.
Pakistan has adopted measures at airports to screen incoming passengers. A crackdown on profiteering on critical medical supplies relating to the virus has also been launched. But Islamabad remains reluctant to bring back the hundreds of students who are stranded in Wuhan and other cities of China. Parents of such students have cried hoarse in urging the government to bring their beloveds back but to little avail. The PTI-led government, upon election, had promised to treat overseas Pakistanis better than its predecessors. It is time it fulfilled that promise by starting a process to bring those students back who have been discharged from Chinese hospitals and those who have not displayed any symptoms after a quarantine period.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2020.
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