Stranded Kashmiris seek direct flights
One Dubai-Srinagar repatriation flight to carry 150 on Friday
Aspecial repatriation flight from Dubai to Srinagar has been arranged for Friday, Indian diplomats in the UAE told Gulf News, but stranded Kashmiris want more direct flights. The Friday flight will carry around 150 passengers.
Adil Ahmad, 35, from Abu Dhabi, said: “I was made redundant in March. I have received no salary since then and all my savings have been used up in hospital bills for my pregnant wife, who has no health insurance. She came here on a visit visa in February.”
Ahmad, who spent six years in Abu Dhabi, added: “A direct flight to Srinagar is the best option for us. We request the Indian government for at least three.”
In Dubai, sisters Tawseema Ali and Iqra Ashraf are also stranded. Tawseema came in October 2019 to be with her husband. “His mother fell ill and he went to Kashmir in March to see her. He has been stuck there since. I’m stuck here with no job and no savings. My sister came here in March to look for a job and is now stranded too,” she said.
In Sharjah, Junaid A. is trying to arrange travel home for his wife, who is almost six months pregnant, and his visiting mother who is unwell. “We have registered for repatriation as they both need to be cared for by family back home,” said the 31-year-old, who works in the banking sector.
Interestingly, Ajaz Bhatt from Dubai has cancelled plans to repatriate his parents, whose visit visa expired in April. “We wanted to make space available for more urgent cases to go home. I request authorities for more flights,” he said.