Stranded abroad

It comes as a major comfort to Pakistanis stranded abroad and their families who were losing hope about their loved ones as international flights ground to a halt following the Covid-19 pandemic. Islamabad announced a week-long repatriation flight programme starting Saturday for bringing back its nationals stuck overseas amid quickly diminishing options for their homeward-bound journey as tight restrictions kick in. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said 17 repatriation flights will be flown between April 4 -11.

The plan was unveiled the same day a special PIA flight, PK-782, flew 194 Pakistanis back from Turkey to Islamabad who had similarly been stranded in the friendly country. According to the spokesperson for the national flag carrier, the passengers have been shifted to a quarantine centre set up at a hotel after being screened and tested for the virus. They will stay there for 24 hours and be allowed to leave after their tests return negative. Likewise, evacuation of foreigners from Pakistan is also taking place. A charter plane left for the US from Islamabad the other day with over 300 American citizens, including 17 diplomats, on board. Canadians, too, embarked on home journey a day earlier on two special flights green-lighted by Islamabad at Toronto’s request.

Under the latest plan approved by the National Coordination Committee on the Covid-19 pandemic, phased repatriation would be carried out under which priority would be given to those held up in transit, followed by those, whose visas were expiring. Pakistanis working or studying overseas would be third on the priority list, according to the foreign minister. Before this week-long operation, the national flag carrier had operated special flights to bring back stranded Pakistanis from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar and Thailand.

There is no doubt Pakistani families will be massively relieved to hear that at last their government has listened to their concerns. However, it is equally important to care for the countrymen these Pakistanis will be returning to. Adequate arrangements should be in place for testing the returning passengers and keeping them in quarantine at the airport until their reports are received. Any laxity in this regard could potentially spell disaster.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2020.

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