The government said today that the first group of about 300 Hong Kong residents stranded in Pakistan would be brought home by a chartered flight on Thursday, RTHK reports. The Immigration Department says at least 1,600 Hong Kong residents are stranded in Pakistan, since the government there banned all international flights in late March amid the coronavirus pandemic. The first batch of returnees are people staying in Islamabad and its surrounding areas, as well as sick people and and pregnant women. The spokesman also noted that there will be a flight arriving from Doha on Wednesday afternoon carrying about 170 Hong Kong residents coming back from Pakistan on their own. The spokesman said the government is liaising with relevant authorities and several airlines to explore ways to bring home some 3,000 Hong Kong residents stranded in India.

Source: The Standard April 29, 2020 08:37 UTC