141 stranded Pakistanis return from Dubai, Qatar as COVID-19 crisis deepens

All passengers land at Islamabad airport overnight

RAWALPINDI: Two international flights brought back 141 Pakistanis stranded in Doha in Qatar and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, aviation officials said on Tuesday.

All the passengers landed at Islamabad airport overnight. They were screened at the airport for coronavirus and found clear. However, their samples had been sent for laboratory tests.



The passengers were stranded in the Middle East countries after various countries shut international flights following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease called COVID-19. They returned after Pakistan gave one-time permission to planes to land in its airports.

Officials said that a special flight from Doha brought 40 stranded Pakistanis, while another flight brought 101 Pakistanis from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. A Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said all the passengers were screened at the airport.