–The country will further be burdened and deprived of millions of dollars in remittances if work permits of iqama holders expire
–Govt ignorant of tickets being sold in black
PESHAWAR: Following the Saudi government’s orders for iqama holders to return within 72 hours, passengers are not only forced to buy airline tickets at 100 to 150 per cent increased prices, but are also unable to get confirmed flights due to the closure of service at the Peshawar airport.
Iqama holders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have lined up outside offices of Air Blue, Pakistan International Airline (PIA), and Saudi Airline but are not getting tickets at normal prices as the schedule of all flights from Bacha Khan International Airport has been suspended in light of the National Security Council’s (NSC) decisions that directed all international flights to be shifted to Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.
It may be noted here that around 15,000 iqama holders need to return to Saudi Arabia before the 72 hour deadline announced on Thursday for residents from 12 countries, including Pakistan, to return to the Kingdom. The decision was taken amid fears of the global coronavirus pandemic.
On the other hand, while both the airlines and government have failed to facilitate iqama holders and save their work permits, airline tickets have started being sold in black.
Amjad Afridi, who works in the Saudi city of Dammam, told Pakistan Today that in addition to having an immensely short deadline to return, people are being forced to purchase a ticket at Rs150,000 in order to save their work permits and Saudi visa.
He also lamented that flights are not confirmed although tickets are being sold in black and asked the government to take action to solve this sudden crisis.
Amjad said that most iqama holders work as labourers in Saudi Arabia and were in the country for vacations. “Millions of educated young people are already unemployed in Pakistan. If their visas expire, the country will further be burdened and deprived of millions of dollars in remittances,” he warned.
Iqama holders who have been queuing outside airlines offices revealed that attention is paid to touts rather than to facilitate the public whereas their grievances have fallen on deaf ears despite complaints made to law enforcement agencies.
Afzal Rahman, another Iqama holder, said that he had purchased a return ticket from Emirates while coming for vacations and is now in a conundrum as only PIA, Air Blue and the Saudi Airline are allowed to fly into Saudi Arabia. “We are living in fear of our livelihoods being terminated. I request the government to provide us relief. We are not just individuals, we have families depending on us,” he cried.
Similarly, iqama holder Gulzman told Pakistan Today that he has been working as a contractor in Saudi Arabia for the past several years and has never seen such a situation before.
“Our government has not taken a single step to facilitate the people who are trying to meet the deadline and if the Saudi government doesn’t extend the deadline, thousands of poor people will be deprived of their work permits,” he observed.
