A flight carrying Pakistani students stranded in the United States due to coronavirus pandemic departed for Pakistan in a specially chartered flight.

In a tweet from his official Twitter handle, Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Dr Asad Majeed Khan said that the special flight has 150 Pakistani students onboard.

The ambassador said that he is grateful to the US government for the special flight which will land in Lahore.

Pakistan students had been in the United States on various US-funded exchange programmes including UGRAD, Fulbright, Humphrey and YES programs.

This is in addition to over 65 Karachi-bound exchange students, who returned to Pakistan via Qatar Airways last week.

Dr Asad Majeed Khan bid farewell to the students at the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC. The State Department officials were also present on the occasion.

Ambassador Dr Asad Majeed Khan thanked the US government, particularly the State Department for arranging the repatriation of students to Pakistan and for taking care of these young students, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.

https://twitter.com/asadmk17/status/1259963833403260935?s=20

The ambassador also appreciated the patience and resilience of the students while the governments of the United States and Pakistan finalized their travel arrangements.

The charter flight arranged by the US government is in addition to the six PIA special charter flights being operated by the government of Pakistan for the repatriation of Pakistani citizens stranded in the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOavNaBX4NU