DUBAI: Pakistan has completed its ‘biggest ever’ repatriation operation by flying thousands of stranded Pakistanis back home from Dubai and the Northern Emirates over the last four months, Pakistan’s Consul General to Dubai, Ahmed Amjad Ali, said on Saturday.
In March, the consulate had asked all Pakistani nationals who wanted to leave the UAE to formally register with the embassy. Subsequently, according to data available with the consulate, 80,000 Pakistanis had signed up, most of whom had either been laid off or furloughed following the outbreak of coronavirus.
“This was the biggest ever repatriation operation undertaken by Pakistan anywhere overseas and Pakistan was the first country to start sending its nationals home,” Ali said in a presser at the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai.
“All those who had registered with us have flown out,” he said.
Through Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and three FlyDubai special flights, 30,229 Pakistanis stranded in Dubai had been sent back to Pakistan, he added, and another 20,000 Pakistanis had been flown out of Abu Dhabi.
“We have no data for those who traveled by other UAE airlines but I estimate the number to be at 10,000,” he said.
“At this point, the role of the consulate has ended but we will continue helping those in need.”
The consulate also provided accommodation and food to 460 homeless Pakistani nationals, given free tickets home to 561 poor citizens, and transported 208 dead bodies in the same time period, the consul general added.
Ali said the consulate would restart normal consular services from July 1.
The number of Pakistanis wishing to return home has dropped since Dubai began easing lockdown measures and opening up over the past month.
Last month, it was reported hundreds of passengers coming home to Pakistan from around the world were testing positive for coronavirus after landing-- including those from the UAE according to the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on National Security, Moeed Yusuf.
Speaking to local media, Yusuf said huge numbers of returning passengers from the UAE were infected because returnees were laborers who often live in cramped conditions in the Gulf country.
Repatriation of Pakistanis from UAE ends after 'biggest ever' send-home operation
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Repatriation of Pakistanis from UAE ends after 'biggest ever' send-home operation
- Consul general says 30,000 Pakistanis in Dubai and 20,000 in Abu Dhabi were flown home following coronavirus outbreak
- Says role of the consulate has ended; but will continue helping those in need
Curfew extended in Gilgit-Baltistan, probe ordered after deadly Khamenei protests
- At least 15 people were killed in clashes with law enforcement agencies over the weekend in Gilgit-Baltistan
- Government also announces a de-weaponization campaign, crackdown on hate speech and cybercrime in region
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region on Tuesday extended a curfew in Gilgit district and ordered a judicial probe into violent protests over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes last week, an official said.
At least 15 people were killed in clashes with law enforcement agencies over the weekend in GB, where protesters torched and vandalized several buildings, including United Nations regional offices, an army-run school, software technology park and a local charity building.
The violence prompted regional authorities to impose curfew in Gilgit and Skardu districts on March 2-4 as officials urged people to stay indoors and cooperate with law enforcers, amid widespread anger in Pakistan, particularly among members of the Shiite minority, over Khamenei’s killing.
On Tuesday, the GB government convened to review the situation and announced the extension of curfew in Gilgit among a number of security measures as well as ordered the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the weekend violence in the region.
“The government has made it clear that the law will strictly take its course against elements involved in vandalism at government institutions, private properties and incidents of vandalism in Gilgit and Skardu and no kind of mischief will be tolerated,” Shabbir Mir, a GB government spokesperson, said in a statement.
“In view of the security situation, curfew will remain in force in Gilgit, while the decision to extend the curfew in Skardu will be taken keeping the ground realities and the changing situation in view.”
The statement did not specify how long the curfew will remain in place in Gilgit.
Besides the formation of the judicial commission to investigate the violent clashes, the government also decided to launch a large-scale de-weaponization campaign in the entire Gilgit district, for which relevant institutions have been directed to immediately complete all necessary arrangements, according to Mir.
In addition, a crackdown has been ordered on hate speech, spread of fake news and cybercrime.
“The aim of these decisions is to ensure the rule of law, protect the lives and property of citizens and crack down on miscreants,” he said. “Approval has also been given to immediately survey the affected infrastructure and start their restoration work on priority basis.”
Demonstrators in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi also stormed the US Consulate on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to burn the building. Police responded with batons, tear gas, and gunfire, leaving 10 people dead and more than 50 injured.
Pakistani authorities have since beefed up security at US diplomatic missions across the country, including around the US consulate building in Peshawar, to avoid any further violence.
