Ahmed Amjad Ali inaugurates a sport gala in Dubai. File

The Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai and Northern Emirates announced it was resuming all consular services from Wednesday (July 1) as the mission had already implemented the safety and health measures in the wake of COVID-19 on the guidelines of the local government.

This was announced at a recent press conference attended by UAE-based mediapersons including Pakistani journalists working in the country for various online and conventional media outlets based in Pakistan.

"The Overseas Pakistan Foundation (OPF) and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resources Development have assured providing financial assistance to all those stranded Pakistanis who lost their jobs in the UAE due to the COVID-19 as the data is being processed,” Ahmed Amjad Ali said while responding to a question during the press meet.

He further said during the recently concluded operation, the Consulate was in contact with Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & HRD for the benefit of thousands of overseas Pakistanis who lost their jobs in the UAE.

Earlier, the Consul General pointed that more than 12,000 Pakistanis had lost their jobs — either they were laid off or forced to go on long unpaid leave after the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic as these stranded community members registered with the consulate to fly home.

"During the 3-month historic repatriation operation, the Consulate and the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi assisted over 60,000 stranded Pakistanis in flying home with 131 special PIA flights. Besides these, the Consulate also transported 208 non-corona dead bodies to Pakistan while helping the community in the burial of 52 corona dead bodies locally,” he added.

However, the Consulate General, with the help of the Pakistani philanthropists in the UAE, distributed ration packs among 17,000 needy Pakistani families and individuals in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah.

During the lockdown in Dubai, the Consulate distributed rations through Uber Bikers. During this operation, the Consulate also provided accommodation and food to 460 homeless Pakistanis in Dubai and Northern Emirates and then sent them to Pakistan. The Consulate, with its own resources and with the help of Pakistani philanthropists, distributed free tickets among 561 destitute Pakistanis.

The Consul General extended his gratitude to the cooperation extended by the UAE government during the operation.