179 Stranded Pakistanis Return Home Via Wagah In Lahore

As many as 179 Pakistanis, who were stranded in India in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, returned home via Wagah border here on Thursday

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th May, 2020 ) :As many as 179 Pakistanis, who were stranded in India in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, returned home via Wagah border here on Thursday. They were welcomed by the officials of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), Pakistan High Commission Islamabad and the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) at the Wagah border.

Earlier, India's Border Security Force (BSF) officials handed over Pakistani citizens to the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) at the Wagah border crossing which had been sealed since the coronavirus outbreak.

Most of the Pakistani citizens, visiting India on religious pilgrimage, for medical treatment and meeting relatives, were stranded in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh but their return was made possible when Pakistan High Commission took up the issue with the Indian government in New Delhi.

The officials, from the Pakistan High Commission, Islamabad, Punjab Health Department and the City District Government Lahore (CDGL), were present at the Pakistani side of the crossing.

The Punjab Health Department conducted screening of the returning Pakistanis and escorted them to different quarantine centres for coronavirus tests.

According to Health Department officials, the people whose test results were negative will beallowed to go their homes while persons who were tested positive for coronavirus will be keptat the quarantine centres for 14 days as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs).