254 Pakistanis stranded in Saudi Arabia reach Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Around 254 citizens stranded in Saudi Arabia, owing to the suspension of airline operations due to the COVID-19 epidemic, have reached Pakistan via a special flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The special flight along with the passengers landed in the federal capital from Riyadh. Upon their arrival, the passengers were screened and checked by the doctors at the airport.

The authorities will allow the passengers to go home if their samples for the coronavirus turn out negative. Until then the passengers will be kept in a quarantine facility.

Earlier, the PIA’s special flight PK-8224 with 131 stranded Pakistanis and two bodies on board landed at Faisalabad International Airport. Sources said that all the passengers and crew members were shifted to a quarantine center at a local hotel after screening and testing them for the coronavirus.

Moreover, 50 Pakistani nationals stranded in Colombo owing to the suspension of airline operations due to the COVID-19 epidemic, had reached Islamabad via a special flight of Sri Lankan Airlines. On 20th April, 1,500 Pakistanis were repatriated to the country from the UAE.

So far, the government of Pakistan has successfully brought back 3,418 Pakistanis from the UAE. Pakistani authorities have been bringing back its stranded nationals across the globe and so far 11,800 have been airlifted from the various countries.