Over 250 Pakistanis stranded in Britain desperate to fly home

LONDON: Over 250 Pakistani nationals are stranded in the UK after Pakistan closed its airspace on March 21. Many of these citizens have been unable to get refunds or alternate flights and have been forced to stay in Britain despite running out of money.

Students, short-term visitors and elderly people form the majority of the stranded Pakistanis who wish to travel back to Pakistan. Initially, Pakistan’s airspace was closed till April 4 but even now commercial flights are not being allowed to function.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, in a letter to the stranded Pakistanis, said: “I wish to inform you that according to the PIA (Pakistan International Airlines), special flights are being arranged to facilitate the return of stranded Pakistanis in the UK. We have passed on your information to PIA with the request to reserve your seat on the first available flights.”

In response, Major (retd) Syed Faisal, who is a short-term visitor to the UK, said: “The PHC London informed me that they have coordinated with PIA and all those who have shared their details like visa and passport copy with PHC will be guided for further process of booking flights. However, to date, no one has approached me regarding booking. Moreover, PIA has removed all special flights from their website. No one knows where to contact for booking. PIA is charging average £800-900 per person. I came here for a short duration but I am here in London for over 20 days. I am left with no money even no money to eat and live. We all appeal to the government for arranging special flights and that too either on humanitarian basis free or with the normal fare.”

Many other Pakistanis are left stranded in the UK who are running out of money as well as medical supplies and are left in uncertainty over their future.

Habib-ur-Rehman, a heart patient who is stuck in Stoke on Trent, said: “I am running out of my medicine, I have heart problems but the pharmacies here aren’t giving me medicines over the counter. They say they want a prescription but doctors aren’t allowing me to visit the hospital. My first flight was on 24th March which was cancelled, then I booked another one for 26th March which was also cancelled. Now I have a ticket for 16th April, I don’t know whether PIA will fly me.”

Mohammad Noman, an elderly businessman from Karachi, said: “My wife and I are diabetic and heart patients, we don’t have medical supplies. Contacted Pakistan High Commission multiple times but no help. They took my information but did nothing. PIA has not cooperated, given no information. Their initial ticket was for 21st when the airspace closed.”

Noman’s son, Burhan who is extremely upset over his parent’s condition, said: “We are citizens of Pakistan and our own country is not taking us back.”

Another Karachi resident who works as a cloth merchant and is stuck in the UK said: “I’m a blood pressure patient. When my medicine ended, the National Health Service (NHS) gave me one week’s supply and said this was all they could provide because I’m a foreigner. I don’t know what will happen to my health if I don’t get my medicine. The Pakistani government should do everything they can to help me.”

Faisal Effendi, a law student who is stuck in London, said: “The inconsistent policies of government of Pakistan is on repeating mode. The confused policies make the life of Pakistan expatriates miserable and we are living in a state of uncertainty. Since the suspension of international flights government announces special flights which turned into a dream for many Pakistanis due to sudden strike of pilots regarding Covid-19 issue.

“I bought a ticket for a special flight of PIA for £765 one way London Heathrow to Islamabad but it’s delayed for the second time and still don’t know what is updated flight status. PIA officials and government authorities are frequently changing statements and policies which leave stranded Pakistani in confusion and depression.”

Bilal Khan, who works in a bank in Glasgow, told The News how his mother cried every time they spoke on the phone. He said: “I have bought 3 tickets but all the flights have been cancelled. I am alone here, I have no family, no friends, I want to go home but I don’t know what’s going on. If stranded British citizens can come to the UK in full flights, why did the flights leave empty for Pakistan. Couldn’t we have been facilitated for these flights? Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Zulfi Bukhari make big promises but have done nothing for us. Why did empty planes go back to Pakistan instead of us?”

While the PIA is accepting bookings from April 16, passengers remain unsure whether they will be taken back to Pakistan. One Great British Pound costs over 200 Pakistani rupees which makes it increasingly difficult for stranded Pakistanis to continue staying in the UK.

When approached, a PIA official commented: “There’s clarity as on now. We are selling future flights only for June onwards. Our decisions are linked with decisions made by the Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and National Disaster Management Authority.”