New policy for overseas Pakistanis to be announced soon: Moeed Yusuf

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Moeed Yusuf on Saturday said that they have brought back 33,000 Pakistanis to home from 60 countries since April this year, ARY NEWS reported.

“Upto 1,000 Pakistanis are being brought back home on daily basis,” he said while addressing a presser as government plans to bring back 20,000 Pakistanis in next 20 days.

We have brought back 180 people from India recently, which is the third batch of Pakistanis returning from there, Moeed Yusuf said.

He announced to bring a new policy for overseas Pakistanis in next few days and said that they would soon give good news to them.

“We have decided to resume flight operations to carry passengers outside Pakistan from tomorrow,” he said adding that other airlines were also permitted to resume their operations.

He said that currently land routes with China and India are closed while special arrangements were made at Chaman, Torkham-Afghanistan- and Taftan border-Iran.

The special assistant said that they have allowed to transport food commodities via Pak-Afghan border on the request of Afghan authorities.  “Upto 250 trucks are crossing Chaman and Torkham borders into Afghanistan on daily basis,” he said.

Read More: Zafar Mirza says only 25pc health assets utilized so far as coronavirus cases surge

Moeed Yusuf said that their top priority is to bring back stranded Pakistanis amid measures taken to stop entry of coronavirus via border routes.

“Afghan citizens are allowed to return to their country, however, no fresh visas have been issued to allow foreigners to enter into Pakistan,” said the adviser on national security.

He said that they are in touch with Afghan authorities over visa issues and some concessions have been granted on their request. “We are continuing trade with them and Pakistanis are allowed to return from there,” he said.