RAWALPINDI: At least 1,180 stranded Pakistani nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were repatriated on Tuesday.
An Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai carrying 250 passengers arrived in Peshawar and 200 others from Sharjah arrived in Multan.
Three flights carrying 733 Pakistani citizens reached Karachi and Lahore early morning today.
The passengers were screened and shifted to quarantine centres for 7-14 days to test them for the virus that has already affected more than 9,200 people across the country.
Some of the passengers travelling had been deported and were stranded after overseas flight operations were suspended.
Civil Aviation Authority sources said more flights will be sent to the UAE to rescue the remaining Pakistanis.
Earlier this month, a special flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) repatriated 136 stranded Pakistani citizens in Iraq.
Flight PK-9814 reached Islamabad in the morning, where a special team of doctors examined and screened the passengers.
Along with the aircraft’s crew, the passengers have for now been quarantined at a local hotel, whereas one passenger has been shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences PIMS due to high fever.
According to the concerned authorities, blood samples of the passengers and PIA’s crew will be taken at the hotel. Only those who test negative for COVID-19 will be allowed to go home.
