ISLAMABAD: Another 176 Pakistani nationals stranded in India due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown and international travel ban returned home via the Attari-Wagah border crossing on Wednesday, Pakistan’s state-run media reported.
“These Pakistanis were stranded in different Indian states including Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and Delhi due to the extended lockdown and closure of Attari-Wagah border following the outbreak of coronavirus,” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Wednesday.
In line with Prime Minister Imran Khan's directions, the statement read, Pakistan's high commission in New Delhi remained in close contact with Indian authorities for a smooth and safe repatriation process from over 20 cities across India.
"Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi also facilitated and coordinated logistics for transfer of these Pakistanis to Attari from more than twenty different Indian cities, amid the lockdown."
More than 400 Pakistanis stranded in India have returned home via the Attari-Wagah crossing since March 20, the Foreign Office said, adding that the ongoing efforts will continue until all remaining nationals have been repatriated.
