62,709 registered Pakistanis await repatriation from abroad: FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said about 62,709 registered Pakistanis await repatriation from abroad.

During a visit to the Emergency Crisis Management Unit established at the Foreign Office FM said that all Pakistani missions abroad had been instructed to facilitate the repatriation of Pakistanis during the epidemic, adding that 11,529 Pakistanis have been brought back so far.

He said government is fully aware of the plight of overseas Pakistanis, who wish to return to their home country as soon as possible.

FM Qureshi further said the government is utilising all possible resources to bring back stranded Pakistanis home in a phased manner, he Shah maintained.

He urged people to follow the directions of health experts in order to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading further.

The foreign minister further said that when the COVID-19 crisis was at its peak in China, the Chinese government issued protective directions which were extensively followed by the Chinese people.

On April 21, FM Qureshi had said that around 2,000 Pakistanis are being repatriated per week, but with extensive testing facilities and resumption of airport operations, upto 60,000 stranded Pakistani nationals can be brought back home.

Pakistan has been gradually evacuating its nationals from different countries across globe, after flight operations were halted due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

The confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan have surged past 14,079 after 751 new cases were reported from different parts of the country.

According to the health officials, the country has reported 301 deaths. So far, 3,233 patients have recovered from coronavirus across the country.