Pakistani students take to social media to ask Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure their safe return to China for studies
Students from Pakistan who have been studying in Chinese universities are appealing to the current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to consider their requests for return to China for the continuation of in-person classes. Pakistani students have used Twitter as a medium to reach out to PM Sharif and his government in order to make their pleas heard.
Asmat Mailk, a Social Worker and Activist, who is currently studying Medicine from a University in China, tweeted a photo with a list of demands to Sharif. It asks the PM to sign an MOU (Memorium of Understanding) with the Chinese government, to set up a special help desk for students, government sponsored quarantine for students, and special PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) charter flights for the ones studying there. “Dear students, get ready to appeal to PM @CMShehbaz, It's our last chance to save our future & for our return to China to complete education. We request all students to be positive, as we have done campaigns earlier to appeal to ex PM @ImranKhanPTI . Let's Appeal PM @CMShehbaz @betterpakistan,” said Asmat in a tweet.
Another student from Nanchang University, Dr. Yaseen Malik tweeted, “Please take up the matter of
Pakistani students locked out by China from January 2020. Our careers have been ruined. How can we conduct research without our labs? Chinese citizens are free to come here while our entry to China is banned. #takeUsBackToChina.”
Elsewhere, students from the West African country of Ghana have also been very vocal about not receiving visas to go to China for studies. “What is our crime? What have we done to be prevented from continuing with quality education? Many countries have higher cases but still allow international students to enter their country. #Takeusbacktochina,” said a tweet by Ghanaian students back to China.
Students from many countries are awaiting their student visas amid Covid restrictions in China. China’s Zero Covid policy has led to visa restrictions on different nationalities.