As Saudi deadline nears, Qatar bans residents, citizens from leaving country

Doha: In a bid to save its economy, Qatar government has banned its citizens and residents from leaving the country. According to media reports, all leaves prior to the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays had been cancelled for residents, especially for those working in the public sector, including hospitals.

The ban has later been extended to cover several other sectors. Qatar expects harsh measures by the Arab nations if they are not satisfied by its response to a list of demands made nearly two weeks ago. The demands included the closure of the Al Jazeera media network, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and closing the Turkish military base in Qatar, said the reports.

The Qatari response was handed over by Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator in the dispute.

Notably, the Qatari government is struggling to tackle the blockade on the country which threatens to disrupt its economy after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar for its support to terror networks.

More than 650,000 Indians live in Qatar. Nearly half of them hail from Kerala. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ensure that Indian were safe in Qatar.

The government had operated special flights to help those who wanted to come home. The flights were not meant to evacuate Indians but to provide travel services as connectivity from Qatar had been impacted by the restrictions imposed on it by several Arab countries.