ISLAMABAD   : Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says the government has a priority to bring back Pakistanis waiting to return to the country in various countries of the world.

Chairing a meeting regarding dealing with coronavirus pandemic in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said a Crisis Management Cell has been established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and it has been in contact with the Pakistani embassies in the entire world. He said we have the exact number of Pakistanis abroad. Qureshi informed the attendees that all the 170 Pakistanis stranded in Thailand, who have returned home on special flights, were tested for coronavirus on arrival. “I am pleased to announce that the tests came out negative,” he added.

“We have to ensure quarantine and various other medical facilities at airports for the positively tested coronavirus cases,” said Qureshi.The foreign minister informed the meeting that the majority of the countries have currently suspended flight operations in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.The meeting also deliberated on the resumption of international flights from April 4. The meeting, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), was attended by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, State Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari, National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yousuf, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood among others.