Pakistan diplomats hopeful UAE flight ban lifts soon as thousands look to return

Officials are in talks and hope to see flights resume as early as next month

Aziz Ullah, 60, and 21-year-old Muhammad Usman, two aid workers of Alamgir Welfare Trust, loading oxygen cylinders into a vehicle for delivery to Covid-19 patients in Islamabad, Pakistan. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

Hamid Ather, president of the Alkhidmat Foundation's Islamabad chapter, talks about its oxygen delivery programme for needy patients. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

Khalid Hussain, 45 and an aid worker of Alkhidmat Foundation, checks oxygen cylinders before they are delivered to Covid-19 patients. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

The main building of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, where a specialised isolation ward has been set up to treat Covid-19 patients. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

A paramedic leaves the emergency ward at the Alkhidmat Raazi Hospital in Islamabad that is run by Alkhidmat Foundation. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

A sign directs visitors to the coronavirus screening counter at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the largest public sector health facility in Islamabad. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

An Alkhidmat Foundation aid worker displays a pulse oximeter that the organisation gives out with oxygen cylinders. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

An aid worker of the Alamgir Welfare Trust in Islamabad fixes a regulator on an oxygen cylinder before it is delivered to a Covid-19 patient. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

Aziz Ullah, 60, and 21-year-old Muhammad Usman, both aid workers of Alamgir Welfare Trust, arrange oxygen cylinders at the warehouse of the non-profit organisation in Islamabad. Imran Mukhtar/ The National

Pakistani diplomats said they were hopeful a ban on flights to the UAE will be lifted soon.

The consulate general in Dubai said it is in talks with UAE officials to allow thousands of Pakistani expats to return to the Emirates.

Flights from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, were suspended earlier this month. Those countries have all reported cases of the Indian double variant.

A representative told The National the consulate was hopeful flights "would return to normal" soon.

My husband's job is on the line and we are stressed if our residency visas would expire by the time flights resume

Several Pakistani families who live in the UAE said they are worried that they could lose jobs if they were stranded for a prolonged period.

Hiba Jamal – a Dubai resident for the past seven years – travelled to Pakistan with her husband and four-year-old child for the Eid Al Fitr holidays.

They hope to return to their second home in the UAE, so Ms Jamal can deliver her baby and her husband can resume his job.

"We were all supposed to be back in the UAE before May 22," she told The National.

“My husband also came here to spend Eid with us, but now his job is on the line and we are stressed that our residency visas could expire by the time flights resume.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty and it’s such a traumatic situation. We couldn’t even celebrate Eid.”

Hiba Jamal with her husband and child, who went to Pakistan for the Eid Al Fitr holidays and are now stranded. Courtesy: Jamal family

Ms Jamal's husband lost his job in Dubai when the pandemic first started. Now the couple fears he will lose his new job as an accountant, because his employer requires him to work from the office.

Rafia Waseem is another resident who flew to Pakistan with her family to spend the Eid holidays there.

“My husband and I flew to Pakistan a few days ahead of Eid, but his boss has texted him to come back as soon as possible,” she said.

Farrah Ali, who has been living in Abu Dhabi for 11 years, travelled to Pakistan with her husband and two children on May 7, after her mother-in-law fell ill.

Her husband works as a banker and cannot work remotely.

“We can stay here, but my husband can’t, as he is the only breadwinner of our family,” Ms Ali said.

“We are trying to get a seat for him so he can go back to the UAE as soon as possible, but flights are suspended.”

More than a million Pakistanis live in the UAE and many went home to spend Eid with their families.

Pakistan, which has a population of more than 220 million, is battling a second wave of the virus. It reported 3,256 new cases and 104 deaths on Wednesday.

Strict measures were put in place across Pakistan ahead of Eid, including a temporary lockdown and reduction of inbound flights by 80 per cent.

Indians charter private jets home to Dubai – in pictures 

Dr Pawan Agrawal was in Varanasi, northern India, for his father’s funeral and was among eight people to return recently to Dubai on a business jet. Courtesy: Dr Agrawal

Dr Rahul Gupta (fourth from right) and Dr Rekha Singh (in a wheelchair) are among 13 UAE residents who returned from India recently on a business jet after incoming commercial flights were suspended from India. Courtesy: Dr Gupta

Dr Pawan Agrawal was in Varanasi, northern India, for his father’s funeral and was among eight people to return recently to Dubai on a business jet that cost upwards of $43,000. Commercial flights from India have been suspended to guard against a deadly Covid-19 strain. Courtesy: Dr Agrawal

Dr Rahul Gupta returns to Dubai on a business jet with 13 others earlier this month after being stuck in India for weeks when he went to care for his mother-in-law. A quick diagnosis helped save the life of his mother-in-law who contracted Covid-19 in India. Courtesy: Dr Gupta