UAE releases 400 Pakistani prisoners in view of virus outbreak

Around 400 Pakistani prisoners have been released from jails across the United Arab Emirates in view of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed 28 lives and infected over 4,900 people in the Gulf kingdom so far.

The released Pakistanis were jailed for minor offences, the Pakistani Embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Tuesday, adding that the UAE government was arranging special flights to repatriate them.

Of the 400 prisoners, 189 people already reached Peshawar on a FlyDubai flight, the Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday. The second flight is expected to land in Faisalabad.

All the repatriated prisoners would be kept in isolation till they are tested for COVID-19, Additional Deputy Commissioner Ashfaq Khan told the daily.

The decision to release the prisoners follows demonstrations by hundreds of Pakistanis outside the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai last week, demanding they be sent back home.

Around 25,000 Pakistanis have requested repatriation from the UAE in recent weeks. Many have lost jobs and closed businesses due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Similarly, 25,000 Indians are stranded in various parts of the globe, including the UAE. However, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that stranded expatriates cannot be flown back home till May 3, when the coronavirus lockdown ends in the country.

The coronavirus which originated in China's Wuhan city in December last year has claimed 28 lives and infected 4,933 people in the UAE.

Across the world, the virus has killed over 126,000 people with nearly 2 million positive cases so far.