Blog: Around 200 Pakistani expats fly home from UAE, thanks to Galadari Brothers

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Sharjah - Prime Minister's Special Assistant Sayed Zulfi Abbas Bukhari conveys his gratitude.

By Waheed Abbas and M. Sajjad

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Published: Mon 10 Aug 2020, 6:10 AM

Last updated: Mon 10 Aug 2020, 10:15 PM

Around 200 stranded Pakistanis in the UAE flew home on Monday, thanks to the generous sponsorship by Galadari Brothers.
Two special PIA flights, to Multan and Islamabad, took off from Sharjah international airport on Monday.
Around 200 Pakistanis will be back home thanks to the Rs10 million sponsorship by Galadari Brothers. All the passengers were provided free tickets.



 
 
 

Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and HRD, Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, conveyed his gratitude to Suhail Galadari, Co-Chairman of Galadari Brothers, for sponsoring the air tickets of 200 destitute Pakistanis stranded in the UAE.
Suhail Galadari had made a Rs10 million pledge to sponsor the air tickets as he met Bukhari at the Khaleej Times office on July 25.
During a meeting with Zulfiqar Bukhari, Suhail Galadari had pledged to invest in the hospitality and tourism sector of Pakistan in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan's tourism vision.
Ahmed Amjad Ali, Consul-General of Pakistan in Dubai, also thanked Suhail Galadari for assisting Pakistani nationals in their repatriation.
The special flights were arranged by Arshad Malik, CEO of Pakistan International Airlines which offered discounted air fares to support the repatriation operation. 



 
 
Passengers thanked Galadari Brothers for arranging the special flights to send them home. Most of the passengers had either lost their jobs or their visas have expired.
Akhtar Hussain, a 37-year-old hailing from Multan, was in the UAE for just seven months, working for a small private company, when the pandemic struck.

"I lost my job after the outbreak of Covid-19. I am going back because I don't have the money to survive. I approached the consulate and they helped me with a free ticket. I thank Galadari Brothers for making the travel possible," Hussain said.
 
Muhammad Fayaz came to the UAE just seven months back after landing a job at a private company. However, he lost his job due to challenges posed by Covid-19. "I approached the consulate and they told me about the free tickets to go home."
Mohammad Ishfaq, who hails from Muzaffargarh, lost his job as a helper due to Covid-19. "I had been working here for two years. I approached the consulate for help after losing my job. I am really thankful to Galadari Brothers for providing us with the free tickets," he said.
 
Haji Muneer has called the UAE home for over 40 years. He is going back to Pakistan for good along with six family members. Thanking Galadari Brothers, the truck driver said: "I have reached 60 years of age. Now is the time to retire. I want to thank Galadari Brothers for providing us with free air tickets," said Muneer
 


Khaleej Times journalists are stationed at the Sharjah International Airport to cover the repatriation mission.


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