Staff Reporter
Islamabad
As many as 500 stranded Pakistanis Friday were repatriated from Saudi Arabia who were stuck up there after the suspension of flight operations following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
A special PIA flight PK 8710 carrying 250 stranded Pakistanis departed from Jeddah for Lahore at 14:30 hours. Pakistan’s Consul General at Jeddah Khalid Majid and Deputy Consul General Shaiq Ahmed Bhutto saw off the passengers at the airport, said a press release received here.
This was second of the two special flights departed from the Kingdom carrying stranded Pakistanis to their homeland. The first flight with 250 passengers departed for Islamabad from Riyadh on Friday morning.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to France Moin ul Haque on Firday held a virtual meeting with France-based Pakistani journalists to apprise them of various steps taken to provide relief and assistance to the Pakistani community members affected by the coronavirus epidemic.
The ambassador informed the journalists about the Government of Pakistan’s policy regarding operation of special flights to bring back home stranded Pakistanis worldwide and transportation of dead bodies from abroad to Pakistan, said a press release.
As the two issues pertained to France also, Ambassador Moin assured the community that the embassy had taken them up with the authorities concerned for an early resolution.
