ISLAMABAD: As many as 250 stranded Pakistanis were repatriated from Australia through a special Pakistan International Airline flight on Sunday after they were stuck up due to closure of flight operation in the wake of the coronavirus spread.
The repatriation of stranded Pakistanis was coordinated by Pakistan High Commission, Canberra, and consulates general in Sydney and Melbourne, said a press statement.
Consul General of Pakistan in Melbourne Sardar Adnan Rashid, also representing High Commissioner Babar Amin, saw off the stranded Pakistanis at the Melbourne airport.
The consul general said repatriation of Pakistanis manifests 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 has 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 with 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.
