Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday said around 1,600 Pakistanis stranded abroad have returned home amid coronavirus situation, while efforts are afoot to bring back another 36,000 to 40,000 expatriates.
“Expatriate Pakistanis are the backbone of our economy and we cannot leave them alone in this difficult time,” the foreign minister said in a video message addressed to the overseas Pakistanis, adding that it is the duty of the government to ensure safe return of expatriates in the ongoing situation.
He said as the government took a tough decision of suspending the flight operation, a large number of Pakistanis got stranded at airports of Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Tashkent, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur in addition to other tourists, students, religious groups from Pakistan. He said the government is concerned about the workforce in Gulf countries which has lost jobs due to the lockdown. “The government is fully cognizant of the problems faced by our overseas Pakistanis and the committee set up by the prime minister under my chairmanship is making efforts in consultation with representatives of aviation, national security, National Disaster Management Authority and National Institute of Health to overcome this challenge,” he said.
The foreign minister said the committee has carefully prepared proposals for return of overseas Pakistanis in a coordinated manner. However, he regretted that due to non-cooperation of provincial governments, the timely return of stranded Pakistanis faced delays. “It is thus my strongest appeal to the provincial governments to cooperate with the Foreign Office and the federal government in the best national interest and rise above their political differences in this hour,” he said, adding that directives have been issued to the missions abroad to deal with the extraordinary situation. Qureshi said the Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge after the second world war which has affected the globe including Pakistan. He said the virus has affected 1.4 million worldwide with 88,000 deaths.
He said under the guidance of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the entire nation stands steadfast to fight the challenge at individual, collective, national and provincial levels. He also acknowledged the contribution of doctors, nurses and the people linked with medical sector who are working as frontline warriors in this crisis.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Qureshi Friday held a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of Republic of Korea Kang Kyung-wha and discussed the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath with her. He commended the South Korean government for its effective response against Covid-19 that has been widely acknowledged by the international community, a Foreign Office press release said.
He thanked the South Korean government for the support extended to the Pakistani community in their country. He also briefed his South Korean counterpart on the measures being taken by Pakistan to contain the pathogen.
Both sides agreed that the pandemic necessitates closer international cooperation. They agreed to stay engaged on Covid-19 and on other matters of mutual interest.
