President Alvi may travel to China soon, government tells IHC

The government’s lawyer on Friday informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that an official visit of President Arif Alvi to China is on the cards.

The lawyer informed IHC’s Chief Justice Athar Minallah during a hearing of the petition filed by the parents of the students stuck in China to bring their kids back.

However, a final decision on the president’s trip is yet to be taken said an official of the foreign ministry.

“A final decision on the president’s trip to China hasn’t been taken yet,” said the director general of the ministry of foreign affairs. He added that the Pakistanis stuck in the Chinese province of Hubei will be compensated with cash grant.

Upon hearing this, a mother of one of the students asked the official in tears to not give money and bring them back to Pakistan.

Also read: 'Serious situation': IHC tells govt to decide on Pakistani students in China

During the hearing, one of the parents also told the court that they have been informed that there was a complete ban on the coverage of the disease in China.

To this, IHC CJ Minallah remarked that the court cannot intervene in the policy matters of other countries.

“The situation is so precarious that the US has imposed a ban on flights from Europe,” said Justice Minallah to highlight how grave the situation regarding the disease has become. He added that coronavirus has become a problem for the world.

In the last hearing the court was informed that the federal cabinet would take a decision on the students stuck in China. 

When the matter came up during the proceedings today, the official from the foreign ministry said that they haven’t been informed about the cabinet decision as of yet.

“Some matters are not legal and the court cannot intervene in government policies,” Justice Minallah also told the parents.

Also read: IHC says will not intervene in state policy on evacuation of Pakistanis from Wuhan

However, the petitioner’s lawyer interjected saying that they were not asking for the court’s intervention in government policy but were seeking the court’s help in getting informed about the return of their children.

Upon hearing this, Justice Minallah told the parties present that the court cannot suspect the cabinet and its intentions. The judge also adjourned the hearing of the case till March 20 after passing the remark.

In the last hearing, the Islamabad High Court had told the parents of the Pakistani students stuck in China’s city of Wuhan that the state was not neglectful in the case and Prime Minister Imran Khan was overseeing the issue himself.

Also read: Zulfi Bukhari thinks it would be foolish to evacuate Pakistani students in China

During the last hearing, the parents had told the judge that their patience was being tested and complained that no was listening to them.

The parents at multiple times have urged the court to direct the government to evacuate their kids and keep them in quarantine. But so far the court has refrained from issuing such orders.