800 Kashmiris in Dubai book 2 special flights to return to J&K

Srinagar, June 6: Around 800 Kashmiris stranded in Dubai due to the Covid19 outbreak have arranged two chartered flights for their return to the Valley and urged the Indian government to expedite the clearance for their landing in Srinagar.

They say they have been appealing to the Centre to evacuate them to the Valley as they were facing severe problems surviving there without jobs.

They say they are under distress with some of them facing medical emergencies, visa issues and others running out of money and other means.

Sajad Ahmad, one of the stranded Kashmiris, said that so far only one flight under the government’s Vande Bharat Mission has been operated from Dubai.

The first flight under the mission was in May and another is scheduled for June 11 in which about 150 of them are being brought back, he said.

“My visa has been cancelled by the company because of coronavirus. It has been three months without any salary. Now I do not have any money left,” he said.

Another Kashmiri said most of them have no sources of income and they depend on some wellto-do Kashmiri families there who are providing them food. “There are many medical emergencies including pregnant women. Many people have lost jobs, some have visit visas and we have no sources of survival left now,” he said, appealing for help.

They said they have now arranged two chartered flights from Dubai to Srinagar and want the government to expedite the procedure for approving their landings at the airport here.