Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Syed Ehsanul Haque , convener Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC), said PRC appreciates Prime Minister Imran Khan's measures taken in wake of the corona pandemic, especially the balanced approach in curbing corona and alleviating hunger of the needy. The financial support of Rs. 12,000 to poor families is an excellent gesture from government and the instrument for distribution deserves praise, he said in the Zoom meeting hosted by Pakistan Journalist Forum (PJF) on the occasion of 82nd death anniversary of Pakistan's thinker, poet and philosopher Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal, which is observed on April 21. He said the creation of several hospitals in very short time by federal as well as by Sindh government was remarkable. Lately President Arif Alavi's decision to allow restricted congregational prayers in Ramadan after close consultations and consensus with renowned scholars also shows government's democratic approach in solving national issues. The prime minister's asking Pakistanis in China to stay there proved to be wise decision since Chinese took care our citizens in the same spirit as they did for their own citizens. However, the same policy cannot be applied on Pakistanis living in West. One of the major reasons that they underestimated the extent of pandemic and assumed that their strong medical system could handle the pandemic easily. However, failure of Italy then rest of Europe revealed the seriousness of the situation. For Americans it took little more time to gauge the scale of corona. As we notice that the inadequate medical facilities in the West can't cope with the huge number of patients, so they have started giving priorities to the "genuine" citizens and ignore others e.g. immigrants; visitors and illegals / overstayers. As you know only in USA over 150 Pakistanis have died while in Pakistan the number is much lower. So it's high time to consider return of those Pakistanis on visits or students in the West, who couldn't avail proper medical facilities there. There are thousands of Pakistanis in the Middle East who lost their jobs or given up to 6 months to leave. They are also waiting to go back home. These Pakistanis served our national economy for decades and this is the time that government respectfully plans for their return since they don't have means to continue to stay in this circumstances. "I would like to take the opportunity to bring to the attention of prime minister one more category of Pakistanis ignored from the day they sacrificed in 1971 war and languishing in about 66 concentration camps scattered all over Bangladesh. While their lives was already miserable the pandemic has brought additional misery in the form of hunger and disease without any attention from local government," he said. "There are reports of death and serious illness due to lack of food and health care. I know Imran Khan government's federal minister Mahmud Ali Khan and Shireen Mazari have expressed support but this is high time to own them and extend essential food and medical support before they perish in alien land," he added. "As PRC we would be happy to extend any support which our government would like us to do in helping those patriotic Pakistanis in Bangladesh," he said.
