India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province "if such a situation arises" and resources are available, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday.
He, however, clarified that Pakistan had made no request for it till now.
Hundreds of stranded Pakistani students in the coronavirus-hit Wuhan city have made desperate pleas to the Imran Khan government to evacuate them from China's worst-affected Hubei province, urging his administration to take a leaf out of India's book.
Asked about the pleas by the Pakistani students and whether India could help in their evacuation, Kumar said, "No such request has been received by us from the government of Pakistan. But if such a situation arises and keeping in mind the resources available, we can look into it."
Pakistan's decision to not evacuate its citizens from Wuhan city as an act of "solidarity" with China had won praise from China. Lauding its 'iron ally', China had said the decision showed Islamabad's confidence in Beijing to control the virus outbreak.
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Kumar has also said India has temporarily suspended all travel to the country from China in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. All visas stand cancelled, said Kumar, adding “this applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. We have also clarified that holders of already issued e-Visas are no longer valid."
The MEA spokesperson added that this ban did not apply to Hong Kong or other parts of non-mainland China.
Kumar further said those individuals who have compelling reasons for travelling to India from China could contact officials in the Indian embassy at Beijing or at the consulates.
He said while the government had not issued any advisory to airlines on curtailing their operations to and fro China, all people who travel to China will be quarantined on return to India. The matter is being reviewed on a continuous basis, as the situation develops.
India had operated two flights and evacuated 647 Indians, and seven Maldivians a few days ago from Wuhan. The evacuees were those who had shown willingness to be lifted back home, and who had cleared the screening process. Ten people had failed the screening test and were left behind in Wuhan, where the Indian government has requested China to help them out.
According to media reports, all the Indians evacuated from Wuhan tested negative for coronavirus.
(With inputs from Rekha Dixit, PTI)
