From Abid Usman
LAHORE: 114 Indian nationals stuck in Pakistan owing to the coronavirus pandemic will return to their homeland via the Wagah bordering crossing on July 9. The Ministry of Interior has written a letter to the director general of the Punjab Rangers apprising him of the Indian citizens’ homeward journey through the Wagah border on foot. It instructed that the govt-prescribed standard operating procedures (SOPs) be followed during their repatriation. The Indians got stuck in Pakistan after it closed its frontiers to stem the spread of the virus.
Earlier, on June 25, at least 250 Indian nationals stranded in the country were repatriated. A total of 748 Indian citizens were stranded in Pakistan, of them the first group left on June 25 while the rest were to return in the coming days. They had come to Pakistan to visit their relatives and perform religious rites, but got stuck due to lockdown restrictions.
