Not advisable to evacuate Pakistani citizens from China: Dr Zafar.

ISLAMABAD -- Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza has said that it was not advisable to evacuate Pakistanis from China, saying that the government will demonstrate responsible behaviour and not become a part in spreading the virus.

Dr Zafar Mirza said during a press conference on Thursday that the government of Pakistan stood with its Chinese counterpart and would respect the directions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Beijing.

"We don't want to take any emotional decision which will cause this virus to spread further," he said. "It is also our responsibility to ensure that our citizens in Wuhan are being properly taken care of and see to it whether they are being provided food or items of daily use or not," he said.

Dr Zafar Mirza said the Pakistani embassy in China was providing the government with information about its citizen in Wuhan. He said that it was in the "larger interest of the region" to not evacuate Pakistanis in Wuhan.

"This is what the WHO is saying and this is what China's policy is," he said. "This is also our policy."

Dr Zafar Mirza said that the government will ensure proper checks to keep the coronavirus from spreading when "the situation improves". He said the government will ensure proper screening at entry, exit points of the country and place under observation those who are at risk of carrying the virus.

He said that a Coronavirus Core Committee had been constituted which included the country's top health experts. Dr Zafar Mirza said the committee provided its recommendations daily and that the situation to...