Flight operations to China resume.

Byline: Mohammad Asghar

RAWALPINDI -- Pakistan will resume flight operations to and from China today after a pause of three days.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistan had suspended its national flag carrier's flights to and from China until Feb 2.

'Flight operation to and from China will begin after Sunday as a China Southern flight for Islamabad is scheduled to land at 9:30am on Monday,' Senior Joint Secretary of Aviation Division Abdul Sattar Khokhar told Dawn, adding that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will also resume flights to China.

On Thursday night, PIA had decided to suspend its flights to Beijing until Feb 2 as other airlines began suspending their flights to and from China due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

PIA had started two flights a week to Beijing in May 2019 after a gap of three months.

Preparations have been made at Islamabad International Airport (IIA) to scan passengers arriving via the China Southern flight.

Every passenger will be scanned and if any symptom of virus is detected in any passenger then he or she will be shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) or Benazir Bhutto Hospital as both have been declared focal hospitals, he said.

Punjab government has issued SOPs for protection of doctors and paramedical staff of government hospitals in case they are looking after a virus affected patient.

All passengers arriving from China on Monday...