Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 “stranded passengers” from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistan’s consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.
It was not clear when other flights would depart. More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported.
The UAE and other Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters. Some have moved to re-house them in shuttered schools or dedicated centres, and are trying to arrange flights to repatriate them.
On Sunday the UAE announced 479 new cases and four more deaths, bringing its total to 6,781 cases and 41 deaths so far.
The UAE last week said it would review labour relations with states refusing to evacuate citizens, including those who have lost jobs or been put on leave, after the ambassadors of India and Pakistan said their countries were not yet ready to do so.
PIA said on its website that it would not be able to provide services for inbound flights beyond Islamabad International Airport due to suspension of domestic flights and a lockdown in the country.
Millions of foreign workers, many from Asia, form the backbone of Gulf economies and work in sectors that have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.
The pandemic is also likely to disrupt the significant remittances those workers send back to their home countries.
The total infection count in the six Gulf states has risen steadily to more than 26,600, with 167 deaths, despite containment measures such as halting passenger flights, curfews and in several cases locking down districts with large populations of low-income expatriate workers.
Saudi Arabia, which has the most infections and deaths among Gulf Cooperation Council states, at 9,362 and 97, recorded a record 1,088 new cases in 24 hours. It said 83% of the new confirmed cases were in non-Saudi nationals.
Kuwait’s 90-year-old ruler, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, on Sunday addressed the nation to welcome back the first group of Kuwaitis returned home under a new repatriation programme.
He urged them to comply with all isolation and quarantine guidelines given by authorities in the Gulf state, which has recorded seven deaths, including one on Sunday, and almost 2,000 cases of the infection.
Meanwhile, after the government allowed PIA to partially restore its flight operations for the United Kingdom (UK), more than 300 British nationals on Sunday left for London via PIA’s special flight from Islamabad airport.
According to details, the PIA flight PK-785 left for London, carrying more than 300 passengers. The passengers were properly screened before their flight.
Meanwhile, another PIA flight carrying 300 passengers left for Toronto around 9 am Sunday from Jinnah International Airport Karachi.
Anti-germs spray was conducted in the flight before loading the luggage of the passengers on the flight, while the usage of masks was ensured for the passengers.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Sunday announced a new health policy for passengers travelling April 18-30, amid the worsening coronavirus crisis in the country.
According to the PCAA, all standard operating procedures (SOPs) mentioned in the health forms are to be strictly implemented.
All passengers travelling by air are obligated to submit their health forms, which include information on flu, cold, cough, and sore throat. The form also states that passengers should enter quarantine if the relevant health officer deemed it necessary.
Passengers are also bound to oblige if the quarantine period is extended and pay for food that officials advised. They are liable to penalties for providing wrong or false information.
The government, on the other hand, is required to provide accommodation according to the passengers’ preferences.
Last week, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf said that beginning April 20, the government will be able to bring back 6,000-7,000 passengers every week with operations running across six airports. “And this will gradually be expanded to accommodate more passengers,” said Yusuf.
He said that according to information received by the government, there are around 35,000 Pakistanis looking to return to the country. “We will bring them back as soon as we can.”
Also, the US Embassy in Islamabad on Sunday advised US citizens in Pakistan to continue monitoring their phones as the embassy will reach out to them because there are still seats available on upcoming chartered flights for them to return to the United States.
In a tweet, the embassy asked the US citizens to follow its instructions in recent alerts. The embassy tweeted, “There are still seats available on our upcoming charter flights for #USCitizens in #Pakistan to return to the United States! Continue to monitor your phone as we reach out now.”
Earlier, the US Embassy in Islamabad said that it has arranged additional chartered flights which will depart from Karachi and Islamabad to Washington Dulles (IAD) next week.
The embassy in a health alert said that these flights are for US citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been unable to return to the United States because of suspension of international flights from Pakistan.
