UAE to extend visas for Pakistani nationals amid coronavirus outbreak

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced to extend visas for Pakistani nationals along with other measures that were discussed during a video link conference between the UAE minister on human resource and PM’s aide on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari on Thursday.

The UAE ministry has decided to assist the stranded Pakistani nationals in every way possible and will provide legal protection to those who are willing to stay in UAE.

In a major development, both ministers have discussed that Pakistani nationals who were recently dismissed from their jobs would be given salaries in full, however, virtual jobs will be provided to Pakistani employees on a priority basis.

In order to facilitate Pakistani expats, UAE firms will also provide airfare to Pakistani employees so that they can safely return to their home country.

Bukhari thanked UAE for facilitating Pakistani nationals in these hard times of the pandemic.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan is a big labour supplier to the UAE, with more than a million Pakistanis living and working in the country, according to Pakistani diplomats.

Since March, Dubai has been under lockdown as the UAE has ramped up measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In March, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Division Moeed W. Yusuf had assured the nation that the government was in touch with the authorities of those countries where Pakistani passengers are stuck in transit.

More than 35,000 Pakistani nationals have already registered with the diplomatic mission in the UAE seeking a way to get back to their homeland but the Pakistan government is not launching its limited flight operations for repatriations.

PIA arranges 11 special flights to bring back stranded Pakistanis in Dubai

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced that it will arrange 11 flights to bring back Pakistani citizens stranded in Dubai. The flights will bring back Pakistanis from Dubai on April 19 and 20. 

This was revealed by PIA's Middle East General Manager Shahid Mughal. Speaking to Geo News, he said 2,000 Pakistanis will be brought back to the country in the first phase of the flight operations. 

Three flights will bring Pakistanis back to Islamabad, two each to Karachi and Lahore. Two aircraft each will bring back Pakistanis from Dubai to Faisalabad and Multan. 

He said that a flight desk was being set up by the PIA and tickets will be available from tomorrow (Friday) at the consulate. "Pakistanis will be able to buy their return ticket to the country via the flight desk," said Mughal. "The flight desk will function from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM tomorrow," he added.