1,097 stranded Tableeghi Jamaat members return to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: As many as 1,097 Tableeghi Jamaat members, who were stranded in various countries, have been brought back to Pakistan through special flights. This information was shared with the parliamentary committee on immediate repatriation of Zaireen, Tableeghi Jamaat and overseas Pakistanis on Friday.

The committee reviewed the progress made on the subject and directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned officials to take immediate steps to repatriate Pakistani nationals trapped in Afghanistan, Iran and Middle East countries. The committee met here with Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar in the chair. Chairman of sub-committee and Minister of State for Safron Shaharyar Khan Afridi gave a detailed briefing on the progress made over the subject. Afridi said besides bringing 1,097 Tableeghi Jamaat members back to Pakistan, 237 Afghan nationals of Tableeghi Jamaat have been sent back after testing negative for COVID-19.

The speaker was also informed that another 243 foreigners have also been flown out of Pakistan after testing negative. Thousands of Tableeghi Jamaat members stranded in various parts of Pakistan due to lockdown had also been sent back to their respective houses since the committee took over the job. Shaharyar Afridi said that 263 Pakistanis had been brought back from Japan and Bangkok to Islamabad and they had been quarantined and their samples sent for coronavirus test. He told that 50 Zaireen from Taftan border had been brought to Punjab and later sent to their homes after spending quarantine period.

“Moreover, another flight brought back 250 Pakistanis from United Arab Emirates who had also been sent to their homes after spending quarantine period. A flight from Jeddah brought back 542 Pakistanis who had been quarantined,” the minister told the committee.

Afridi said that 200 prisoners had arrived from UAE in Faisalabad and were quarantined. He also submitted progress report on return of stranded Pakistanis in Iran, Afghanistan and Gulf states.