Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari Wednesday said the government had decided to reopen 25 per cent of its airspace after June 20 to airlift maximum Pakistani expatriates, stuck at foreign countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“A formula is being prepared under which 25 per cent of total airspace will be opened and out of this 25 per cent, 70 per cent [flights] will be dedicated for the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE (United Arab Emirates), Qatar, Kuwait and Malaysia where our labour is stuck,” Zulfikar Bukhari, flanked by SAPM on National Security Moeed Yusuf, told the media persons here at the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC).
He said the initiative was being taken on instruction of Prime Minister Imran Khan who had ordered the immediate repatriation of stranded Pakistani workers, especially from the GCC countries.
“The PM’s decision for your early repatriation brings a big responsibility on your as well as our shoulders. Have you not been completing your 14-day self-quarantine at your homes after the return, the situation, which is evolving with each passing day, may lead us to close the airspace again which would eventually hamper the return of your collegues, brothers and sisters, who are also stuck abroad,” he said, appealing to the returnees to strictly adhere to the SOPs.
Zulfikar Bukhari said so far 80,000 stranded Pakistanis had been brought to the country shores, out of which 40,000 were the workers, who had been laid off by the companies in their host country. “Repatriation of such a large number of Pakistanis in such short span of time is a big achievement and the credit goes to the prime minister, NCOC and NCC (National Coordination Committee).”
He said around 600 bodies of Pakistanis had been brought to the country so far, whereas remains of 100 Pakistanis were in process of repatriation from Saudi Arabia.
The SAPM feared that the number of laid workers would gradually increase, but at this point of time, he said: “the number is controllable.” The number might grow in days to come due to the evolving situation across the globe, he added.
“The existing number of laid off workers has not hit the economy badly as despite the coronavirus pandemic, the country has received $20.6 billion remittances in this May as compared to $20.1 billion in the last year’s May.”
In the prevailing situation, he said, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistani and Human Resource Development along with other stakeholders would make all-out efforts to keep the remittances inflow up.
The special assistant said his ministry in collaboration with other government departments had been working on an integration programme for returning emigrants so that they could register themselves on the Overseas Employment Corporation’s portal and share their professional details which would eventually help maintain their data.
“We are also planning to include them under Ehsaas and Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Programmes,” he added.
He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government had sent around one million Pakistanis abroad for various job assignments in its tenure due to goodwill of Prime Minister Imran Khan and cordial relations of Pakistan with the GCC countries.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Dr Moeed Yusuf Wednesday said that stranded Pakistanis were not the cause of COVID-19 transmission in the country. Moeed Yusuf said that only three percent Pakistanis brought virus to country whereas rest of ninety seven percent was locally transmitted.
The government should be thankful to the stranded Pakistanis for showing patience and cooperation, but unfortunately they were blamed for bringing the virus in the country, said Moeed Yusuf adding that they are Pakistanis and it is their right to come back to home.
“At the moment 98,700 Pakistanis are registered with embassies in 70 countries who want to come back home”, said Moeed adding that almost one hundred thousand students studying abroad are also in the line, he said.
“Every single passenger came to Pakistan from abroad was tested and if someone tested positive for coronavirus, was quarantined”, said Moeed. The government has prepared a comprehensive policy regarding stranded Pakistanis in consultation with NCOC and all provinces, he said.
He further said that the National Coordination Committee decided that after June 2 every passenger would be tested and they would be quarantined at their homes, however upon the written requests from provinces policy was slightly changed.
According to new policy, only symptomatic passengers will be tested and if found positive, they will be quarantined at the facilities provided by the government, however it would be mandatory for every passengers to quarantine themselves for fourteen days at home, said Mooed Yusuf.
“All passengers will have to give assurance in written at the airport that they will quarantine themselves for fourteen days at home”, said Moeed, adding that the provinces through track and trace system will keep an eye and those violate the oath will be penalized in accordance with law”, said Moeed Yusuf.
“At present six airports were operating, but the government has decided to make two more airports functional including Quetta and Sialkot to expand the repatriation flight operation”, he said.
“Government is bringing nearly 2000 stranded Pakistanis per day due to the new policy approximately 40,000 to 45,000 expat Pakistanis will come home every week”, said Moeed adding that the government will be able to bring back all stranded Pakistanis home in one month. He clarified that the flight operation was only for repatriation of stranded Pakistanis however the government has not yet decided to resume pre-corona flight operation, adding that the new policy will be implemented from June 20 onwards and all airlines will operate accordingly.
