ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has sought Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) of Rs 90 million to meet additional expenditure of repatriation of Pakistani students stranded in Bishkik (Kirghizstan) in April 2024, sources close to Deputy Prime Minister told Business Recorder.
Sharing the details, sources said, in April 2024, Pakistani students in Bishkek faced an unprecedented situation when a mob started targeting foreign students.
“This created a serious emergency situation for our students.”
On the instructions of the Prime Minister, MoFA prepared an emergency plan for evacuation of stranded Pakistanis from Bishkek.
The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister personally visited Bishkek to liaise with Kyrgz leadership to ensure security and well-being of Pakistani students and arrange evacuation of stranded Pakistanis.
According to sources, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, MoFA arranged six special flights including one PAF flight and five PIA flights for repatriation of Pakistani students stranded in Kyrgyzstan.
It is pertinent to mention here that Ministry’s regular budget does not cater for such unforeseen expenditures, including those for humanitarian actions.
In view of instructions given by the Prime Minister, special funds are required in order to disburse payments to PIA and PAF.
The sources further stated that invoices received from Air Headquarters for one PAF Airbus are amounting to $70,264.50 and five special PIA flights amounting to Rs 75 million (15 million for each flight).
However, Air Headquarters has agreed that out of $70,264.50 only $55,000 may be paid to them.
Later, on the interventions of MoFA, Air Headquarters has further agreed that the requisite payment equivalent to $55,000 may be paid in Pakistani rupees. In this regard, Air Headquarters has conveyed a revised invoice of Rs 15,274,880 (equivalent to $55,000) as per SBP conversion rate of Rs 277.73 per USD.
To meet the payments, MoFA requested Finance Division for additional funds, which has given views to initiate Summary for ECC for obtaining TSG amounting to Rs90.275 million under Demand No.48-Foreign Affairs during CFY 2024-25 to disburse the payments to PAF and PIA.
Foregoing in view, the MoFA and has requested the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet to approve additional TSG through allocation of additional funds.
The ECC, which is scheduled to meet on Friday (today), will accord approval of requested amount to be paid to PIA and PAF.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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