Flight operations likely to start tomorrow for returning Pakistanis stranded abroad

ISLAMABAD: Flight operations will start from April 4 (tomorrow) for the return of Pakistanis stranded overseas as flight operations around the world suspend from the Coronavirus.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said 17 return flights will start between April 4 and 11.

He said that the return of their citizens would be implemented under the scheme approved by the National Coordination Committee.

The foreign minister said that Pakistanis trapped in transit flights would be given greater priority after which their visas are being exported.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Pakistanis working or studying abroad would be third on the priority list.

He clarified that all returning passengers will be screened at airports and efforts are underway to increase local capacity for this purpose.

It should be noted that yesterday, Foreign Office spokeswoman Aysha Farooqi said that the government has repatriated its citizens from Qatar, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Thailand so far, while returning from Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Tashkent, Baku, Baghdad, London and Toronto. 

He said that diplomatic officials from Pakistan were asked to assist foreign nationals by providing food, medicine, housing and extending visas in the event of a visa expiry.

In response to a question about the Chinese workers' return to Pakistan, he said that the Beijing government is adopting a "double quarantine" policy for Chinese workers working for the Pak-China Economic Transit Plan (C-PEC).

He said that the Chinese workers who are coming to Pakistan will be put in quarantine in China first, then they will be quarantined for another 14 days in Pakistan and all medical procedures will be adopted.