ISLAMABAD - At least 193 Pakistanis, who were stranded in various parts of India due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown, were repatriated via Attari-Wagah border on Tuesday.

According to a message of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi received here, for past several weeks following the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown in India and closure of Attari-Wagah border, these Pakistanis were stuck in different Indian States including Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. They had come to India for such purposes as visit, pilgrimage or medical treatment.

The Pakistan High Commission appreciated the understanding and patience shown by these Pakistanis, and said the Mission was making efforts for their early repatriation with the support of the Foreign Office and relevant national stakeholders.

The Mission also facilitated and coordinated logistics for transfer of these Pakistanis to Attari, amid lockdown, from 25 Indian cities including, among many others Agra, Ahmedabad, Bijnor, Bhopal, Delhi, Gurgaon, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Nagpur and Raipur. 

Since March 20, at least 243 stranded Pakistanis have been repatriated from India and the Mission thanked the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for their assistance in that regard. The High Commission would continue with its ongoing efforts towards early repatriation of all the remaining Pakistanis stranded in India.

In these extraordinary times when we are all confronted with the challenge of novel coronavirus, it remains the Mission’s top priority to look after the stranded Pakistanis in India and facilitate their expeditious, safe and smooth return to Pakistan, the statement said.