1,019 return as evacuation mission ends: Foreign Office

Published April 10, 2015
FO says 1,019 stranded Pakistanis were evacuated in the last 10 days, while some 100-150 Pakistanis chose to stay. —Reuters/File
FO says 1,019 stranded Pakistanis were evacuated in the last 10 days, while some 100-150 Pakistanis chose to stay. —Reuters/File

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) announced that the evacuation mission initiated to rescue Pakistani citizens who were stranded in war-torn Yemen has culminated after all Pakistanis were brought home.

"1,019 stranded Pakistanis have been evacuated from Yemen in the last 10 days by three special flights, three naval evacuations and a land evacuation through neighbouring Oman. However, there may still be an estimated 100-150 Pakistanis left in the country," FO spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said.

Take a look: Tears of joys as Pakistanis return safely from Yemen

Regarding the Pakistanis who have been left over in Yemen, Aslam said they are mostly the ones who have chosen to stay in Yemen.

She said the emergency evacuation operation has thus effectively culminated on April 7, 2015, since her office does not have any more compatriots registered for evacuation.

Read: Another 135 Pakistanis return from Yemen

The spokesperson said this was the first wide-scale evacuation from Yemen carried out through special flights and Navy vessels during the current crisis, and the first to conclude successfully, safely bringing back all nationals wanting to evacuate at a minimal cost to the national exchequer.

Aslam further said a special exemption was obtained from the Saudi government for the “No Fly” restriction imposed on Yemeni airspace, along with ground clearances from local authorities.

Also read: Pakistan Navy ship carrying 182 arrives in Karachi from Yemen

"Seamless implementation of a historic emergency evacuation mission, under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s leadership and supervision, has ensured a safe return for all our stranded citizens in Yemen and earned laurels for the country, with a number of foreign nationals having been rescued and returned to their countries," she concluded.

Opinion

Editorial

Punishing evaders
02 May, 2024

Punishing evaders

THE FBR’s decision to block mobile phone connections of more than half a million individuals who did not file...
Engaging Riyadh
Updated 02 May, 2024

Engaging Riyadh

It must be stressed that to pull in maximum foreign investment, a climate of domestic political stability is crucial.
Freedom to question
02 May, 2024

Freedom to question

WITH frequently suspended freedoms, increasing violence and few to speak out for the oppressed, it is unlikely that...
Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.