Shah Mahmood Qureshi says 100,000 stranded Pakistanis repatriated

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said that 100,000 Pakistanis stranded abroad during COVID-19 pandemic have been repatriated so far, ARY NEWS reported.

In a statement issued today to divulge details of measures taken by the government for overseas Pakistanis, the foreign minister said that they were also trying to bring back other stranded countrymen.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that overseas Pakistanis have stood with the nation in testing times. “We are trying to safeguard the employment of those returning to Pakistan,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security Division Dr. Moeed Yusuf said on Thursday that around 45,000 overseas Pakistan would be repatriated in the next five days from June 26.

Briefing media in Islamabad on flight operations, he said all airlines have been allowed to enter into Pakistan and 270 flights are expected to land in the country from 26 to 30th of this month.

The PM’s advisor expressed hope that all Pakistani laborers, especially in the Gulf countries, will be able to return to the country in the next few weeks.

Dr. Moeed Yusuf said the screening process will be started from Saturday for outbound passengers from Pakistan. During this process, the passengers will be checked for body temperature and other ailments, he added.

He also advised the outbound passengers to travel only if they are completely healthy in order to satisfy the requirements of their destination countries.

He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan has given special instructions to take care of overseas Pakistanis.