Daily Times

The Interior Ministry has directed all chief secretaries and chief commissioner of Islamabad to ensure immediate repatriation of all the stranded Tablighi Jamaat members and Zaireen before the start of fasting month of Ramazan.

“The Tablighis and Zaireen should be repatriated in line with the existing standard operating procedure notified by the health authorities and districts administration in the wake of coronavirus,” the ministry said in a notification, adding that strict disciplinary action will be initiated against all those who failed to fulfil their responsibilities.

The interior ministry issued these directives in line with the recommendations of the functional committee for the affectees of coronavirus. The committee meeting chaired by Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser had advised the ministry to facilitate respectable return of the stranded Tablighis and Zaireen to their homes. Meanwhile, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday announced that it will operate more relief flights to bring back stranded Pakistani passengers from Australia and South Korea. According to PIA spokesperson, the special flights will operate from Islamabad airport to bring back the Pakistani expats.

The PIA has also decided to operate 53 special flights from next week to facilitate Pakistanis stranded abroad. These flights will be operated for Algeria, Khartoum, Nairobi, Oman, Zurich, Amsterdam, Turkey and Jeddah to bring the Pakistani citizens. The PIA has asked the passengers who were unable to travel to Pakistan from these destinations due to suspension of flight operations amid Covid-19 pandemic to contact the airline’s call centre and provide their local numbers for coordination.

Meanwhile, the national flag carrier has also announced to lower its fares after CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik took notice of the higher fares being charged from overseas Pakistanis returning to the country. “Tickets with updated fares will now be available on the e-ticketing system,” said the PIA spokesman.