DUBAI: Hundreds of Pakistani prisoners flew back home on Tuesday in two special flights amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, according to Pakistan’s Consul General to Dubai, Ahmed Amjad Ali.
A FlyDubai flight carrying 185 passengers left for Faisalabad from Dubai on Tuesday evening at 5 pm while another flight with another 188 prisoners left for Peshawar at 9pm local time.
Both the flights were carrying pardoned prisoners, Ali told Arab News.
“Pakistan government will keep these passengers in quarantine for seven days upon arrival,” he added.
Another two flights are expected to take stranded passengers back home on April 18 and 19, Ali said.
In an apparent request made to the Pakistan government by the UAE to open airspace for special flights, a circular issued by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on April 13 read, “The UAE government through FlyDubai has requested permission to operate flights between Dubai to Faisalabad on 14th April to transport 180 stranded Pakistani nationals to Faisalabad."
These special flights, on return, will carry 11 personnel of the UAE embassy in Islamabad back to Dubai, the statement added.
The CAA said that Islamabad gave the permission upon condition that "no disembarkation of flight crew shall be permitted from the aircraft upon arrival at Faisalabad International Airport.”
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Ghulam Dastgir told Arab News on Monday that Pakistan government was working out a plan to quarantine the returning passengers before the evacuation.
His comments followed the UAE’s warning to take action if countries did not speed up action to evacuate its citizens who wanted to travel back home.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by FlyDubai read: “We are fully supporting governments and authorities across the flydubai network with their repatriation efforts helping them to make arrangements for their citizens to return home.”
Hundreds of Pakistani prisoners return from Dubai amid pandemic
https://arab.news/8gtf8
Hundreds of Pakistani prisoners return from Dubai amid pandemic
- Will be quarantined for a week upon arrival, official says
- Another two flights will bring stranded expats back from Dubai on April 18 and 19
Pakistan to begin first phase of Hajj 2026 trainings from today
- Training programs to be held in phases across Pakistan till February, says religion ministry
- Saudi Arabia allocated Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has said that it will begin the first phase of mandatory Hajj 2026 training for pilgrims intending to perform the pilgrimage from today, Thursday.
The one-day Hajj training programs will be held in phases across the country at the tehsil level until February. The ministry directed intending pilgrims to bring their original identity cards and the computerized receipt of their Hajj application to attend the training sessions.
“Pilgrims should attend the one-day training program according to their scheduled date,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said in a statement.
The ministry said training schedules are being shared through the government’s Pak Hajj 2026 mobile application as well as via SMS. It added that details of the schedule are also available on its website.
According to the ministry, training programs will be held in Abbottabad on Jan. 2; Ghotki, Thatta and Kotli on Jan. 3; and Tando Muhammad Khan and Khairpur on Jan. 4.
Hajj training sessions will be held in Rawalakot, Badin and Naushahro Feroze on Jan. 5, while pilgrims in Fateh Jang, Dadu and Tharparkar will receive the training on Jan. 6.
The ministry said training programs will be conducted in Umerkot and Larkana on Jan. 7, followed by sessions in Mirpurkhas, Shahdadkot and Mansehra on Jan. 8.
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has previously said these trainings will be conducted by experienced trainers and scholars using multimedia.
It said the training has been made mandatory to ensure that intending pilgrims are fully aware of Hajj rituals and administrative procedures.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, of which around 118,000 seats have been reserved under the government scheme, while the remainder will be allocated to private tour operators.
Under Pakistan’s Hajj scheme, the estimated cost of the government package ranges from Rs1,150,000 to Rs1,250,000 ($4,049.93 to $4,236), subject to final agreements with service providers.
