LAHORE: Pakistanis, stranded in India due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, were repatriated today.
According to details some 193 citizens (including women and children) entered the homeland via Wagah Border and were screened and transferred to quarantine centers upon their arrival here. It is pertinent to mention here that a number of Pakistanis had reached the border crossing yesterday (4th of May, 2020) but were sent back by BSF. After spending night at Amritsar they arrived at the border today in groups. Many stranded Pakistanis were reportedly examined and quarantined at different Indian cities before reaching the border.
Sources privy to NPTV have revealed that these people were either visiting their family members, getting medical treatment or attending religious ceremonies in the following cities: Burhanpur, Jodhpur, Ludhiana, Kolkata,Agra, Raebareli, Rampur, Kaushambi, Kohlapur, Kota, Ferozepur, Gurugram, Lucknow, Bhopal, Bijnor, Anand, Jalgaon, Mumbai, Delhi, Raipur, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Madhya Pradesh and Nagpur.
It may be recalled that Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier directed the authorities to bring back Pakistanis stranded abroad as soon as possible.
In this regard, the premier also directed Pakistan International Airline (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshall Arshad Malik to bring back Pakistanis from Gulf countries on priority basis.
Earlier Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, chairing a meeting stated that the Crisis Management Cell established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in constant contact with Pakistan diplomatic mission the world-over.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told that government gave top priority to phase-wise repatriation of Pakistani nationals stranded at various airports. FM claimed that the government was utilizing all available resources to ensure medical facilities, including quarantine Centers, at the airports.
It is pertinent to mention here that the proposals presented during the meeting was meant to be pondered over at the next meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Coronavirus.
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