ISLAMABAD: Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi Monday informed the parliamentary committee that the total number of stranded Pakistanis was 39,748 and they were mostly in the Middle Eastern countries.
The data was collected by the Foreign Office through its foreign missions. Briefing the committee constituted by the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, he said the number of stranded Pakistanis belonging to Tablighi Jamaat was 2,248 and the government had arranged special flights to bring them back, quarantine and later send them home if their tests were negative.
He said the next phase of special flights would start from April 14 and 2,000 people would be brought back through nine flights.
The flights, in next 2phase, would arrive in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Peshawar and Faisalabad, he added.
Ministers for aviation and religious affairs extended their fullest support in the fight against coronavirus. Minister for Safron/convener of the sub-committee of the special committee presented the report of the sub-committee.
He informed the committee that the representatives of Tablighi Jamaat and Zayreen (pilgrims) had been taken on board and their verified data had also been collected.
He further informed that the data of stranded Pakistanis abroad and prisoners released by Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE) was also acquired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said as per data received from the Tablighi Jamaat, the total number of Jamaat members stranded abroad and in Pakistan were 2,054 and 16,900 respectively, whereas 275 pilgrims were stranded in Iran and 727 in Pakistan in different quarantine facilities.
He further informed that the pilgrims who successfully returned to their destination were 1,326. He said 660 prisoners were released and 36,000 Pakistanis were stranded in Dubai, Qatar and Oman.
He said the sub-committee was in contact with relevant quarters and would oversee the safe return of everyone to their respective destinations.
Discussing the follow-up progress report of the earlier directions of the committee, the interior ministry secretary apprised the committee that the ministry had directed the deputy commissioners of the districts concerned to make logistic arrangements for the people who had tested negative to take them safely back to their home towns as per standard operating procedures (SoPs) developed by the health department and provinces.
The Aviation Division secretary apprised the committee about the flight operation. He said only Islamabad Airport was operational and catering to the incoming and outgoing passenger traffic through special flight operation.
He said the Aviation Division had made arrangements through Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to take and bring the stranded Pakistanis and foreign national.
He said in the next phase other major airports would be made operational. The National Institute of Health (NIH) executive director apprised the committee about the testing of coronavirus.
He informed the committee that the NIH was conducting tests currently with capacity of 13,000 to 14,000 which would be enhanced to 30,000 per day in the next few days.