NA speaker for safe return of stranded Pakistanis abroad

ISLAMABAD, Apr 13 (APP):National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser Monday directed all the authorities concerned to ensure the safe return of stranded Pakistanis abroad.

He was chairing the second meeting of ‘Special Committee on Affectees of Coronavirus (COVID-19)’ held here at the Parliament House, to review the progress reports.

The speaker said due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, the stranded Pakistanis abroad such as; members of Tablighi Jamaat, pilgrims and prisoners held in foreign countries were causing panic among the public through electronic, print and social media.

Keeping in view the such panic news, he said he had considered it appropriate to form a special committee that could take stock of the situation and find out a feasible solution of the stranded Pakistanis problems.

The committee diligently discussed the problems of Tablighi Jamaat and pilgrims with their representatives, collected certified data and shared it with the departments concerned.

The speaker said the provincial chief ministers including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister had also been taken on board.

He said the most important issue was maintaining an atmosphere of communal harmony and mutual trust.

He said he had contacted with scholars of different schools of thought and asked them for their guidance, who had assured their full support.

The speaker said religious affairs ministry had been entrusted with the task of delivering the message of the Ulema through print, electronic and social media that the coronavirus was a global issue and a disease that was to be tackled together.