When Hassan last spoke to his father from a hostel in Wuhan on February 6, he begged his son to return to Pakistan, but he could not.

The next day, Hassan's father died of heart disease. Hassan, 27, is one of more than 1,000 Pakistani students stranded in Hubei province, an epidemic of acute pneumonia that is raging in China. The Pakistani government says it cannot allow them to return home at this time.

Hassan tried to find a way to return home but became increasingly desperate with the chaotic news from Pakistani officials. He was unable to attend his father's funeral.

"My family needs me at this time, my mother needs me," said Hassan, a graduate student in computer science at a university in Wuhan City.

Other Pakistani students in Hubei share the same anger, some harshly criticizing the government's response to the situation. Many other countries, including neighboring India and Bangladesh, have evacuated citizens from Hubei province as the number of deaths from disease worldwide continues to rise sharply, to more than 1,000 and more than 40,000. infected.

Meanwhile, Pakistani students and their relatives, including children, are still stuck here. Students express growing frustration and anxiety. They fear virus infection and bewildered not knowing how long this blockade will last.

"My dear students in China, we are urgently discussing the situation at the highest level and will make the most appropriate decision based on all the factors associated with the new strain of corona virus. (nCoV), "Pakistan Health Minister Zafar Mirza wrote on Twitter on February 9.

Hassan has contacted his university and the Pakistani embassy in Beijing. He was later told by Hubei authorities that he could leave China if the Pakistani embassy in Beijing contacted them, but that did not happen. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Hassan said he was informed by a Pakistani official yesterday that they are planning to bring all students from the country to Hubei. However, according to students in Wuhan, the hope of returning to the country faded after a video exchange between them and Pakistani officials took place yesterday afternoon and the evacuation plan was immediately ruled out.

Some students said Pakisan officials said they had no isolation facilities that met the necessary conditions. A spokesman for Health Minister Mirza said he was worried about the welfare of the students and that under Chinese regulations no one was allowed to leave Hubei, but the ministry was still monitoring the situation.

"After that call, we no longer hope our government will send students out of China," said Sahil Hassan, another graduate student in Wuhan. "We are completely disappointed with the government."