Special repatriation flights from US to start on May 10

Five more flights to bring back stranded citizens from Qatar in two weeks

ISLAMABAD: In collaboration with the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the government will operate special chartered flights from May 10 to repatriate stranded Pakistanis from the United States, while five special flights will bring stranded citizens to Pakistan from Qatar in the next two weeks.

According to a press release of the Pakistan’s embassy in Washington on Thursday, two special flights would operate from Washington DC – first to Islamabad on May 10 and second to Karachi on May 13. The date for another flight from Newark Airport, New Jersey for Lahore, will be announced later.

In addition, the government would operate three more flights from the US for the repatriation of Pakistani citizens. “Dates, cities of origin and destinations in Pakistan would be announced in due course of time,” the embassy said.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari indicated on Thursday that five special flights would bring stranded citizens to Pakistan from Qatar in the next two weeks.



Addressing the Pakistani community via teleconference, he said 5,500 Pakistanis were stuck in Qatar due to closure of international flights amid the coronavirus pandemic. He added that 700 laid-off Pakistani workers would be repatriated and their travel expenses would be borne by their employers.

“These unemployed Pakistanis will be given employment through Kamyab Jawan programme,” he added. The SAPM vowed to send two community welfare attaches to Qatar in the next few days, said a press release issued by the overseas ministry.

The virtual town hall meeting was arranged by the OP&HRD ministry to inform the community about the decisions taken by the government to provide relief to the Pakistani diaspora in the wake of coronavirus. The meeting was attended by more than 50 people including officials of Pakistan’s embassy.