440 Pakistani traders stuck in China appeal govt for repatriation

ISLAMABAD: As many as 440 Pakistani traders stuck in China for over a month due to suspension of international flights have appealed to the federal government to make arrangements for their repatriation, reported ARY News.

In a video message, the traders said they have been stranded in the neighbouring country for about a month and a half and could not make it to their home country owing to the suspension of international flights because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are not asking the government for alms or financial assistance,” one of the stranded traders said, adding they will bear travel expense themselves and will also cater for quarantine expenses upon their return to the country.

He said they are ready to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and undergo a quarantine period after their return to the country. They are in distress, away from their families during Ramazan.

Distraught, the traders appealed to the prime minister and his Special Assistant for Overseas Pakistanis to take notice and announce special flights to China as they have announced for other countries.

The distressed traders said many of them are about to run out of travel expenditures, adding their record is available with Pakistan’s embassy in China. They lamented that they approached every relevant forum to seek their repatriation but all in vain.