Covid-19: Stranded Pak citizens return to their country

ATTAR: With prayers on their lips for the eradication of coronavirus from the face of earth, as many as one hundred and seventy nine stranded Pakistani nationals crossed the Radcliff Line from Attari land border to reach their country even as over two hundred Indians are still stranded in Pakistan waiting for their evacuation .

In a

goodwill gesture

, India has already sent back over 250 Pakistani nationals who couldn’t go back due to imposition of coronavirus induced lockdown and sealing of international borders both by India and Pakistan.

However the gesture was not reciprocated by Pakistan government despite repeated emotional appeals of Indians including nearly eighty medical students from Jammu and Kashmir.

The outbound Pakistani nationals also appealed to their government to make arrangements of the stranded Indians so they could also join their families in India.

“We know the pain of being stranded and helpless , no doubt we are very happy to (go) back after over two months time but we have come to know that there are over two hundred Indians who are also waiting to return and we appeal to our government to send them to their country as soon as possible” said Sayed Sarwar Hussain, a resident of Karachi while talking to TOI on Wednesday.

Sarwar who had arrived to meet his relatives in India, said not only he and his family members but everyone during the corona virus times was upset due to upheaval of the lifestyle. “We pray that the spread of virus ends soon and all human beings are relieved” he said.

Resident of Jacobabad, Pakistan, Naresh Kumar who was in Indore to meet his relatives, said that people like him who were staying in the houses of their relatives didn’t have much problem. “But I have my business in Pakistan, rest of my family members are there who were alone during lockdown, I want to be with them in no time “ said he.

All the Pakistani nationals were full of praise about the Indian government as well as Pakistan high commission for facilitating their return to their country.

“Like we are going , I wish Indians stranded in Pakistan also return soon “said Mahesh Kumar, another Pakistani national.

He said “Apnay desh jany ki aur apno say milnay ki khushi bahut hai, lekin ham chahtay hai jo Bhartiya Pakistan mai hay who be jald apno kay pass jaye (We are elated to go back to our country and be with our relatives but we also want that the Indians stranded in Pakistan should soon be with their family members)”he said.