China To Accept All Pakistani Students Back In Phases.

ISLAMABAD -- China will allow phase-wise return of all Pakistani students who have been waiting all through the peak of Covid pandemic to resume their studies in the Chinese educational institutions.

On June 20, after more than two years of waiting, the first batch of Pakistani students boarded a flight to China.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 90 students had departed on a chartered flight to resume in-person studies on campus.

The statement said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had made a special request on behalf of the students to China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting a month earlier.

Diplomatic sources told The Nation that China had agreed to accept all students back but will allow return in phases.

'The whole process will be completed soon. China in principle had agreed to the return of all Pakistani students who had flown back from China amid the pandemic,' said a senior Pakistani diplomat.

He said Pakistani and the Chinese foreign ministries were in contact on the issue on a regular basis.

Another diplomat said the Chinese universities will enrol more Pakistani students in the months to come.

'New students will be enrolled for higher studies in China. The Chinese authorities are giving preference to the Pakistani students,' he added.

Besides Pakistan, offshore students from Bangladesh too will have a cause for celebration following an official announcement confirming their imminent return.

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