'Facilitate return of 7 Punjabis stranded in Iraq'

Chandigarh, June 13 -- Union Food Processing Industries Minister and SAD's Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday urged the Union External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to direct the embassy in Iraq to give all necessary assistance to facilitate the return of seven Punjabi youth who were stranded in Erbil city for the last seven months.

Harsimrat, who will be meeting Dr S Jaishankar along with the families of the seven youth on Thursday evening, has written to the

External Affairs Minister to take steps to expedite the safe return of these Punjabis from Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts.

She said that the youth were in dire straits because they could not work for a living due to lack of work permits. SAD, on its part, would pa...