But on Wednesday, nearly 200 residents flew back from Pakistan on their own, taking a flight that transited in Doha, Qatar, and which landed shortly after 2.30pm.

The Security Bureau announced the compulsory quarantine arrangement for those returning on the first chartered flight at 2.11pm in Chinese and 2.48pm in English that day, but for the first time only mentioned the arrangement for residents who had arranged their own return.

The group only learned about the 14-day mandatory stay at the facility at Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan upon landing. When asked about the lack of forewarning, the bureau said it included the arrangement in the press release “after noting their arrival plan”.

A video obtained by the Post shows scores of residents leaving the flats at the facility to negotiate with staff in a common area and untouched lunchboxes stacked on two trays.

One returnee, a business executive who asked to be identified only as Farrukh, said those who made their own way back to Hong Kong should be allowed to quarantine at home like other international arrivals.

They were served halal food consisting of red beans and rice, but delivery began at 7pm and some dinners did not arrive until 10pm, despite Muslims fasting from sunrise and sunset according to Ramadan tradition, he said.

“We feel discriminated against, as Pakistan is not a huge risk country at all in any World Health Organisation or international list,” Farrukh said. “When returnees from the UK, US, France have been allowed to home quarantine after tests, why not with us?”

If given the choice, he said, he would have paid to quarantine at a hotel.

Nearly 100 people returned the food and at one point threatened to go on hunger strike on Thursday night.

“The public housing estate in Chun Yeung where we are quarantined is substandard. It’s very, very basic with some people not even provided with a mattress to sleep on,” Farrukh said.

The protest forced the local authority to change the Halal food service provider on Friday after liaising with the consulate.

Habib Ahmed, who flew his wife, son and daughter – aged four and eight – back to Hong Kong, said they were shocked to learn about the Fo Tan policy. Other passengers who boarded the flight at Doha were allowed to quarantine at home, he said, adding: “Had I known about the arrangement, I would not be flying them back home.”

Form Six student Zain Ali, who took the chartered flight, also complained about the quality of the food and its late delivery. “Overcooked, undercooked, tasteless,” he said.

But one woman with family members quarantined said the response from other people staying in the estate had been good so far. “All basic needs are available and family members can bring necessities to them,” she wrote on a Facebook post.

Asked about the arrangement, Chuang Shuk-kwan, the head of Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said the arrangement was in the returnees’ best interests and for the protection of their families. “It’s for prudence sake, so we can make further assessments on the two countries,” Chuang said.

The Department of Health confirmed any arrivals from Pakistan would have to be quarantined at camps, although it was unclear if the same arrangement would apply to arrivals from India.

There were 17,439 confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan and 35,365 in India as of Friday.

The Department of Health said about 550 Hong Kong residents were under quarantine at Chun Yeung Estate. A spokesman said it understood the needs and food culture of different races and religions and would try to accommodate them.

A representative for the Pakistan Association of Hong Kong said the situation had already been handled after representatives visited the estate.

“While they were not ready when they first arrived, the situation is OK now. We have already arranged for Pakistani caterers to provide food,” the representative said. “There is nothing to worry about.”

Meanwhile, in a joint statement, the Pakistani consulate and Islamic Trust expressed gratitude on behalf of the country to the Centre for Health Protection and staff at Chun Yeung Estate for accommodating Islamic dietary needs, and stressed: “Pakistani people are happy to be home and are fulfilling their civic duties to make sure Hong Kong is a safe place.”

The consulate said it was expecting an official response from the Security Bureau and the Immigration Department on Monday as to why returnees from Pakistan were classed as a “high-risk group” and required to stay in government facilities instead of undergoing home quarantine.

Although the food had improved with the appointment of a new Halal caterer, the Democratic Party said it received complaints from a Pakistani family that the sandwiches and cup noodles they received on Saturday contained pork, which Muslims are forbidden to eat.

“They feel very frustrated and angry as Muslim families do not eat pork at all,” the party said.

Additional reporting by Zoe Low and Chris Lau