From UAE jails to Peshawar quarantine as prisoners return home

A special flight carrying 189 Pakistani prisoners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) landed in Peshawar on Wednesday who were immediately shifted to a quarantine centre.

According to 24NewsHD TV channel, these Pakistanis were in the UAE jails under different charges. They would get all the necessary medical facilities during their stay at the quarantine centre.

The Civil Aviation Authority had allowed the aircraft to land after the UAE announced a free flight to Peshawar.

These Pakistanis were transported by a FlyDubai – a Dubai-based airline – flight which returned empty after delivering the Pakistani prisoners in Peshawar.

It is worth noting that many Pakistanis in the Middle East countries have lost jobs after the lockdown was imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In this connection, Zulfi Bukhari – special assistant to the prime minister – told 24NewsHD anchor Nasim Zehra in her show that 6,515 Pakistanis had lost their jobs in the UAE.

However, some media reports have suggested that the number of unemployed Pakistanis is around 10,000.

Separately, a special PIA flight landed in Islamabad as it evacuated 266 Pakistanis who were stranded in Bangkok for the past several weeks.

They were shifted to the hotels designated as quarantine centres after a team of doctors screened them and collected samples for coronavirus testing. Those with negative reports would later be allowed to go to their homes.