Zulfi Bukhari announces measures to bring back stranded Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari on Saturday said that they were aware of the difficulties faced by Pakistanis abroad and are taking measures to bring them home, ARY NEWS reported.

Speaking during ARY NEWS programme, Sawal Ye Hai, the special assistant announced that the government plans to launch a trace and track mobile application on Monday, aimed at digital contact tracing, amid rising COVID-19 cases.

Initially, it will be launched on test-basis for five days, he said adding that even if the app would be deleted, the government would be able to trace it.

He said that around 110,000 Pakistanis are currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Zulfi Bukhari further acknowledged that people were facing issues in accessing return tickets to the country and said that it was due to a rise in demand and a low number of flights.

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There are six to seven people in an embassy to deal with the ongoing situation and they faced difficulties in dealing with the mob amid COVID-19 and lockdown situation.

We are working on the hike in fares of plane tickets, he said adding that the travel agents were allocated a quota of tickets to minimize the burden on embassies during the past 10 days.

He further said that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have placed on a ban on bringing back bodies of Pakistanis who died after contracting the infection. “They are buried there,” he said adding that he was in touch with the Saudi and UAE labour ministers.