Pakistani expats at sea as confusion prevails over Pak-UAE flights
- 27 Jun 2021
Tanvir Usman, Gulf Today
Distressed Pakistani residents with valid UAE visa are urging authorities to open the air link between the two countries.
The Dubai-based airline, Emirates, issued a statement saying that their flights from Pakistan will remain suspended till further notice.
The Emirates also responding to passengers’ queries about travel updates, urged them to regularly follow the website for travel plans.
Hundreds of Pakistanis are stuck in their native country due to suspension of flights.
Meanwhile, for the expats living in the UAE who wish to travel to their homes have postponed their travel plans as uncertainty prevails over the flights’ status.
These expats are totally at sea, because they cannot return to join either their families or duty.
ND Khan, a Sharjah resident from Pakistan, said like many Pakistanis, he is also optimistic that the flights from Pakistani cities to the UAE would resume soon.
However, coronavirus cases in Pakistan dropped significantly in recent days.
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Khan said, “I came to Pakistan to spend Eid Al Fitr with my family but got stuck due to suspension of flights.
“I am certain that the authorities will reopen Pakistan flights soon as cases are continuing to decline and the vaccination campaign has gathered pace in the country.”
An expat, Yasmeen said, “Please please please requesting for start of flight from Pakistan... many people are stuck here and facing problems... many have lost their jobs.”
Facebook user with the name, Zab said, “Please open the flights l am here but my family is stuck in Pakistan…”
It remains to be seen when the travel curbs will be relaxed. However, going by the plans of the airlines, this seems unlikely in the near future. The UAE has taken industrial-strength measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has claimed nearly four million lives across the world.