BEIJING: A group of Pakistani students and community members stranded in Urumqi, China, due to suspension of flights in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak have been granted an 11-day visa extension by Chinese authorities. A senior official at the Pakistan Embassy said Chinese authorities in Beijing and Urumqi were fully cooperating and had assured that all of the Pakistani nationals who were stranded in Urumqi were being provided accommodation, food and healthcare. The embassy officials are also in contact with the Pakistani nationals in Urumqi and as of now, “there is absolutely no problem and difficulty being faced by these people”, the official said. Meanwhile, some students took to social media to appreciate the efforts of the Pakistan Embassy and the Chinese government for providing them support and help. On Friday, the group of nearly 150 Pakistani nationals stuck at Urumqi airport in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang for the past four days had appealed to the government in Islamabad to evacuate them back home.

Source: Pakistan Today February 01, 2020 11:15 UTC