A special Pakistan Airforce craft will leave for China this week carrying 15-day food commodities for some 1,300 students stranded in China due to the COVID-19.

The Pakistan government will dispatch food and other necessary commodities on March 19 for its students stranded in China due to the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OPHRD), a special aircraft of Pakistan Air Force, carrying 15-day food commodities for some 1,300 students stranded in China due to the COVID-19, will reach China this week.

“We are sending food for the Pakistani students after getting approved Rs20 million fund from the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Board,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistan Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari said in a statement issued by the ministry.

He said the facilitation of overseas Pakistanis was the government’s top most priority, vowing to fulfil the promise that he made with the parents of children stuck up in China. The special assistant said the government was in constant contact with authorities in China for ensuring well-being of the Pakistani students there.