Efforts afoot to bring back stranded Pakistanis from UAE: Zulfi Bukhari

ISLAMABAD, Apr 15 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari has vowed to bring back all the stranded Pakistanis from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after April 18.

“First flight will come from the UAE on April 18 after which a new flight schedule will be created. All those Pakistanis who are stuck in transit, having expired visas or lost their jobs in the UAE will be given top priority,” said Zulfikar Bukhari in a video message released by his ministry on Wednesday.

The special assistant said his government, in collaboration with the UAE government, would start repatriating stranded Pakistanis after April 18 via the PIA’s charter flights and others.

Zulfikar Bukhari said he was personally evaluating the situation in the UAE and aware of the challenges faced by Pakistanis there. “I am in a constant contact with the Community Welfare Attachees and our Embassy to get update on ration delivery to our people who cannot go out due to curfew in Dubai.”

“Those overseas Pakistanis who have a residence in the UAE should stay there as we did not have such high bandwidth that allow us to airlift all of stranded Pakistanis at once,” the special assistant told the UAE-based expats.

He said the government had given permission to airlift some 8,000 stranded Pakistanis a week. Earlier, there were only 2,000 people were allowed to bring back in a week, he added.

The special assistant urged the overseas Pakistanis to contact on official pages of the ministry on social media in case of any complaint. The complaint would be addressed at the earliest.