The Punjab Government today submitted a detailed report of more than 200 Punjabis stuck in strife torn Iraq to the External Affairs Ministry, GOI. Punjabis from Iraq also rang up today at control room established by the Punjab Government at Chandigarh and gave details about their locations. Disclosing this Jathedar Tota Singh Punjab NRI Affairs Minister said that Punjabis in Iraq are safe but the Central Government should arrange their safe exit as soon as possible because conditions in Iraq is worsening day by day. Minister said that Punjabis who contacted control room from Iraq informed that they are safe their but want to return to India therefore Government of India should speed up the efforts for safe evacuation of Punjabis form Iraq.
He said that till 5.00 pm today more than 200 families had rang up in the control room giving the details about their relatives. He said that some Punjabis from Iraq have also provided information about their whereabouts in Iraq which is being sent to the Union External Affairs Ministry. Minister said that control room numbers are regularly being flashed on the various TV channels and social media and Internet sites are also helpful in spreading the information of control room numbers.
He said that yesterday 78 people contacted control room to provide the information of their relatives and today till 5.00 pm more than 122 people sent the information about the people stuck in Iraq which include calls from Iraq also. NRI Affairs Minister said that meanwhile, senior officials from the Punjab Government are coordinating with the External Affairs Ministry and Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal is in regular touch with Mrs. Sushma Swaraj for safe return of Punjabis from Iraq. He said that total information collected by the control room includes; 22 persons from Gurdaspur, 7 from SBS Nagar, 29 from Jalandhar, 6 from Patiala, 13 from Hoshiarpur, 28 from Kapurthala, 9 from Ludhiana, 3 from Barnala, 34 from Ropar, 5 from Pathankot, 12 from Fatehgarh Sahib, 23 from Amritsar, 1 from Bathinda, 1 from Moga, 5 from SAS Nagar, and 1 from Tarn Taran district.