Qureshi said that the third phase started on Tuesday, and during the phase 5,000 Pakistanis would be brought back weekly on special flights from various countries. He said that with cooperation of the provinces, the capacity would further be increased to bring back more Pakistanis waiting in various countries to return home. He said that the testing and quarantine facilities at the airports across the country had been upgraded with a view to effectively contain the outbreak of the virus.

"On one hand, we are making efforts to prevent the local transmission of the coronavirus, while on the other hand, efforts are being made to mitigate the economic impact of the situation," the foreign minister said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020