CORONAVIRUS | Pakistan said today it is resuming flights to and from China, days after it suspended them due to a rapidly spreading virus outbreak.

Pakistan had suspended operations on Friday, a day after the World Health Organisation declared the epidemic a global health emergency.

“We are resuming flight operations with China, a China Southern Airlines flight with 145 passengers on board will land at 9am at Islamabad International Airport today,” additional secretary of aviation Abdul Sattar Khokhar told Reuters by text message.

Around 30,000 Pakistanis, including a large number of students, are based in China.

Over 500 students currently reside in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak that began late last year. So far, at least four Pakistani students in central Wuhan have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

No coronavirus cases have yet been confirmed in Pakistan.

A growing number of airlines have suspended flights to China due to the coronavirus outbreak and shrinking demand. — Reuters