Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain visited the Islamabad Airport to see off the first batch of Pakistani students going back to China after the imposition of travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
The federal minister along with senior officials of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (FE&PT) and Higher Education Commission met with the students going to China.
The federal minister congratulated the students on their return to China to complete their education.
“It is our national duty to facilitate the youth in their pursuit of knowledge, he said.”
He acknowledged that the students were facing difficulties for two years and had contacted HEC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of FE&PT.
He said that Ministry of FE&PT took lead in this matter and approached the relevant Chinese authorities, PIA and Civil Aviation Authority to resolve this matter on urgent basis.
He praised PIA that despite busy Haj schedule they managed a flight for the Pakistani students.
Rana Tanveer said that today 105 students were returning and soon the rest would also be able to fly back.
He acknowledged the efforts of Secretary Education Ms. Naheed. S Durani and ED HEC Ms Shaista Sohail for their contribution towards resolution of this issue.
The federal minister said that a round of deliberations were held between all relevant stakeholders including Chinese Embassy, Islamabad Pakistan, MoFEPT, HEC and MoFA to address the subject issue of 5,832 students who provided their particulars online to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad (MoFA). Mentioning the three phases for completion of this task, the federal minister said the Priority-I, will be 492 students who were due to complete their degree programs in 2019-20 and 2020-21 while Priority-II will be 1,529 students who have to complete their degrees in 2022.
The Priority-III will be 3,196 remaining students due to complete their degrees in 2023 onwards.
The federal minister said that all 105 students have completed the procedural requirements for the ISB-XIY charter flight.
He continued that hopefully they would land safely in XIY and resume their studies.
Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the issues of Pakistani students were of utmost importance and reiterated his resolve to ensure that the concerns of the Pakistani students would be addressed on priority basis.
He congratulated his team for this success and wished the students best of luck for their future endeavours.
The PIA special flight carrying first batch of Pakistani students arrived in Xian, later in the day.
PIA special flight PK-6854 with 90 students on board took off from Islamabad International Airport and landed at Xian Xianyang International Airport at 15.00 local time, official sources told APP here on Monday.
All the students will undergo 14-day quarantine in Xian as per Covid-19 control and prevention measures imposed by the local government for the passengers arriving from abroad. Later, the students will go to their universities in different cities to continue their education.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his last month’s telephonic conversation with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang discussed the issue of Pakistani students who were desirous of returning to China to resume studies. Premier Li Keqiang had assured that China accorded high priority to this matter.
Resultantly, the two sides agreed for phased return of the Pakistani students subject to the Covid-19 situation in China.
The Chinese side had agreed to allow around 250 Pakistani students for return to China enabling them to continue their studies in the Chinese universities in different cities.
The unprecedented and extraordinary situation caused by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected students’ educational activities across the world, including a large number of Pakistani students enrolled at Chinese universities, many of whom are currently in Pakistan.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing had long been engaged with the relevant Chinese authorities regarding return of Pakistani students to their universities in China. Resultantly, the two sides have agreed for phased return subject to the Covid-19 situation in China.
The embassy would continue pursuing this matter with the Chinese authorities for return of remaining students as well.
According to official sources, there are 6,000 Pakistani students, who intend to go back to China to pursue their studies.
