15k overseas Pakistanis repatriated from 38 countries since March 21: Dr Moeed.

ISLAMABAD -- Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf on Saturday said around 15,000 overseas Pakistanis stranded, in almost 38 different countries were repatriated since March 21, due to closure of air travel.

Addressing a press conference, he briefed on the issues of Pakistanis stranded abroad, policy criterion for repatriation, selection of locations, specific population and others.

Moeed said there were over 100,000 overseas Pakistanis who wanted to return to the country where the government's priority was to bring people on emergency basis especially labourers laid off from their services and were living miserable life, zaireens or religious devotees, prisoners freed in different countries and Pakistanis with expired visas.

He added that special flights have reached all the regions of the world including from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, UAE, Oman and Indonesia. "There are 88 countries where Pakistanis are stuck and wanted to come back whereas 90 percent of the 100,000 overseas Pakistanis left abroad are mostly in gulf countries including 70,000 in UAE, over 15,000 in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and around 6,000 in Qatar."

He added that this was the main reason for maximum flights operated to gulf countries.

He said the overseas Pakistanis should register themselves with their respective embassies as it was decided by the relevant embassy to put the names of Pakistanis on priority to send them back to the country.

The SAPM mentioned that the prime minister was also insisting to bring back overseas Pakistanis whereas the main reason for slowdown was the prevailing health crisis.

Dr Moeed said the health advisers and experts keeping in view the risk of the pandemic spread had suggested to test every single individual as the coronavirus was transmitted to Pakistan from abroad. The 48 hours quarantine period for a passenger was notified under the standard protocol for all and after that period the rest was to be conducted. "If an individual's test comes negative then he or she has to go under self isolation at home for 14 days where as this test report after two days does not mean that one is free to go back home," he added.

The people, he said having certain influences were trying breach the standard protocol whereas it...