Safe return of Umrah pilgrims to Pakistan first priority — envoy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia is working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of all Umrah pilgrims to the South Asian country as the Kingdom suspended much of its international flight operations amid rising fear of coronavirus, Ambassador Raja Ali Ejaz told Arab News via telephone from Riyadh on Friday.
“Our first priority is that we should ensure the safe return of all Pakistani Umrah pilgrims. We have taken this matter with the Saudi ministry of interior and will find a solution after consultation with its officials,” he said.
“I am going to discuss this situation with the Saudi authorities and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to find a viable solution,” the envoy added. “We will also discuss the evacuation option for Pakistani pilgrims by launching special Pakistan International Airlines flights.”
Saudi officials on Thursday suspended flight operations between the Kingdom and much of the European continent. They did the same with 12 other countries in Africa and Asia, including Pakistan, as the number of coronavirus cases in the Arab country jumped to 62.
The Pakistani envoy said the Saudi authorities had taken the harsh decision since coronavirus carriers were entering the Kingdom from various international destinations.
“Saudi Arabia has now given a 72-hour ultimatum to Iqama holders who are outside the Kingdom to return to the country within that period. After that, the Kingdom will suspend flight operations to many countries, including Pakistan,” he said.
“This raises concerns about Umrah pilgrims since they will not be able to return to their homeland after the expiry of their visas,” the ambassador said.
Discussing the safety of Pakistani expats in the Kingdom, he said that the country’s diplomatic mission was trying to educate them about preventive measures.
“Saudi Arabia hosts the largest segment of overseas Pakistanis in the world,” he continued, “so we are trying to ensure the safety of more than 2.5 million Pakistanis through our embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah. We are trying to educate them to improve personal hygiene and take other preventive measures by following adviseries issued by relevant Saudi health ministries.”
The spokesperson of Pakistan’s consulate general in Jeddah, Arshad Munir, said that nearly 30,000 Pakistani Umrah pilgrims were present in Makkah and Jeddah due to the cancelation of flights that were mostly operated by Gulf countries.
“We have asked the PIA to arrange seats for such pilgrims who were left behind by Gulf airlines,” he told Arab News from Jeddah.
He added that in order to facilitate the timely return of the Pakistani Umrah pilgrims, a committee comprising three consulate general officials had been constituted in Jeddah and their contact details had been shared with the pilgrims.
“The refund through travel agents has already started since airlines provide full refunds when their flights are canceled,” Munir said. “The Saudi government has also given contact details of its officials which we have shared with pilgrims. These people will deal with pilgrims’ compensation issues.”