61,000 expats repatriated from UAE: consulate

Afridi hails efforts of staff in Dubai

ISLAMABAD:

The Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai had helped in the repatriation of around 61,000 overseas Pakistanis during a fresh outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year, officials said.

Over 17,500 ration bags were also distributed among the affected expatriates stranded in the Gulf country because of the pandemic, they told Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Chairman Shehryar Afridi during his visit to the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. Afridi is currently visiting the UAE to discuss matters of national interest and welfare of overseas Pakistanis at relevant forums in Dubai.

During his visit, Afridi interacted with officers and staff of the consulate. Consul General of Pakistan Ahmed Amjad Ali briefed Afridi about the working of the consulate, initiatives taken for the welfare of the community and improvising consular services for the Pakistani community.

The chairman examined different sections of the consulate and interacted with visiting overseas Pakistanis and took their feedback regarding services being provided by the consulate. He inquired about the problems being faced by the visitors and asked the consulate general to speed up the process of resolution.

Afridi lauded the efforts of officers and staff of the consulate for the welfare of the Pakistani community. Appreciating the performance of the consulate during the Covid-19 pandemic, Afridi expressed the hope that it would continue to work with the same zeal. He also lauded the consulate for providing laptops to overseas Pakistani students.

The Kashmir committee chairman said: “Overseas Pakistanis are an asset for the country and the state of Pakistan would leave no stone unturned in helping the overseas community to resolve their issues in the host country.” APP