Pakistan urges Canada to reconsider its decision of suspending flights from Pakistan

Pakistan has urged Canada to reconsider its decision to suspend flights from Pakistan.

Last week, Canada suspended all flights from Pakistan for 30 days due to the increased coronavirus cases detected in travelers arriving from the country. The ban will not apply to cargo flights, Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra said.

During a phone call on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Canadian counterpart Marc Garneau discussed matters pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral ties and regional situation, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

The Canadian FM briefed Qureshi on the decision by the Canadian government to suspend flights from Pakistan in the wake of an upsurge in the cases in Canada.

Qureshi offered his condolences on the loss of lives in Canada due to the infection and extended good wishes to the people of Canada to combat the pandemic in a holistic manner.

Apprising Garneau of the effective measures taken by Pakistan to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of its citizens, FM Qureshi urged that the Canadian government reconsider its decision of suspending flights from Pakistan.

"The Foreign Minister appreciated the inclusion of Pakistan in Students Direct Stream (SDS) while expressing hope that it would help to augment access of more Pakistani students to the educational institutes of Canada. He requested to re-establish Canadian visa processing center in Islamabad following improvement in law & order situation in Pakistan," FO statement read.

The two leaders also extended invitations to visit each other's country.