Abdul Basit
Pakistan government is working on a massive repatriation plan to bring back overseas Pakistanis from the Gulf and other countries, it was announced after the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting on Tuesday.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf said it was decided in the NCC meeting that six airports across the country will remain open and after April 20, 6,000-7,000 Pakistanis stranded abroad will be brought home every week.
Yusuf said the government was currently focused on bringing back labourers stuck in the Gulf countries, Pakistani inmates released by some countries, Umrah pilgrims and people whose visas have expired.
Emirates, flydubai and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are ready to launch special flight operations for stranded Pakistani nationals by April 21 when Pakistan is expected to lift the aviation ban on some international flights, according to sources.
In the next few days, the Pakistanis struck in Afghanistan will also be allowed to cross the border after which they will be quarantined, Yusuf added.
Earlier in the day, Dubai-based flydubai operated two special flights from Dubai to Faisalabad and Peshawar on Tuesday to repatriate Pakistani prisoners released from the UAE jails recently.
Today’s special flights carries around 400 Pakistani prisoners who were released from UAE jails recently and most of them were involved in petty crimes or have completed their prison term, according to sources.
The flydubai special flight from Dubai to Faisalabad will take off at 5pm arriving at Faisalabad International Airport at 8.30pm local time in Pakistan. The return flight will take off at 9.30pm arriving at Dubai International Airport at 22.50pm.
Sources said that all tickets for the prisoners were paid by the UAE authorities concerned and there are no other regular passengers on this flight. The return flight will also carry 11 members of the UAE Embassy staff.
According to a letter issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority: “The UAE government through flydubai has requested permission to operate a flight between Dubai and Faisalabad on April 14 to transport 180 stranded Pakistani nationals to Faisalabad and on return to transport 11 UAE Embassy staff.
“The request to flydubai to operate the requested flight between Dubai and Faisalabad has been approved by the competent authority.
“The permission is subject to the condition that no disembarkation of flight crew shall be permitted from the aircraft upon arrival th Faisalabad.
“The permission is subject to full compliance with Operational Standards Operating Procedure related to International Flights.”
