PIA flight repatriated 250 stranded Pakistanis from Australia

ISLAMABAD, Apr 26 (DNA): A special flight of Pakistan International

Airlines (PIA) Sunday repatriated 250 stranded Pakistanis from

Australia.

Pakistan High Commission in Canberra along with its consulates in Sydney

and Melbourne coordinated their return. Consul General of Pakistan,

Melbourne, Sardar Adnan Rashid saw off the stranded Pakistanis at the

airport.

The Consul General said repatriation of Pakistanis manifested the

commitment of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Government of Pakistan

to reach out and look after welfare of Pakistani diaspora across the

world.

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi had also directed all

Pakistani missions abroad to facilitate the repatriation of Pakistanis

who desire so, he added.

The returning Pakistanis thanked the Government of Pakistan, the High

Commission and the Consulates General for arranging repatriation to

their homeland.

They also expressed satisfaction on the efforts being put in by the

Pakistani missions in Australia for the welfare and well-being of

community members faced with financial and allied difficulties in the

wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The same PIA flight, PK-8963, had landed in Melbourne on Saturday for

the first time in history with more than 300 passengers on board.

The national airline is consistently serving the nationals trapped in

foreign countries due to suspension of the flight operations following

the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

On April 22, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had decided to

operate 53 special flights from next week to facilitate Pakistanis

stranded abroad.

It must be noted that more than 11,700 nationals have been brought back

to Pakistan through 104 special flights.

The PIA spokesperson said in a statement that the nationals returned

home through PIA special flights operated in Saudi Arabia, Canada,

France, Turkey, Japan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and United Kingdom

(UK).

The national flag-carrier is still continuing special flight operations

to bring back more Pakistanis trapped in foreign countries following the

suspension of flight operations due to coronavirus pandemic. DNA

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