By John Okeke
On 17th June 2020, 90 Pakistanis stranded in Federal Republic of Nigeria were flown from Abuja and Lagos for Islamabad by a special chartered flight, a statement by the Pakistani High Commission in Abuja has said.
According to the statement, in addition, 9 members of Nigerian Armed Forces and two family members also boarded this flight.
It noted that the High Commissioner of Pakistan High Commission to Federal Republic of Nigeria, the High Commission Officials, as well as senior officials of Nigerian Foreign Ministry were present at the airport to bid farewell to the Pakistani nationals.
The Pakistanis commended the efforts of the Government of Pakistan, its Foreign Ministry and its High Commission, for facilitating as well as arranging the special chartered flight on self-finance basis to enable them meet their families after enduring nearly three months of hardship in lockdown conditions and spending Eid-ul-Fitr away from home.
”On its return trip, the flight will bring back 50 Nigerians and one Pakistani who were stranded in Pakistan. This includes Nigerian Military officers who have completed their training in various Defence Training Institutions in Pakistan, in accordance with bilateral defence cooperation between both brotherly countries,” it said.
”This flight was arranged after concerted efforts by the High Commission of Pakistan in Abuja, High Commission of Nigeria in Islamabad and with the assistance of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of both countries. Nationals of both countries highly appreciated the efforts of Pakistani and Nigerian Governments to arrange this special flight,” the statement added.
