Pakistan helped Indian students in Ukraine on humanitarian basis, says FM Qureshi

Published March 3, 2022
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi speaks to the media in Sindh's Mirpurkhas district. — DawnNewsTV
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi speaks to the media in Sindh's Mirpurkhas district. — DawnNewsTV

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday that Pakistan had helped "distressed" Indian students fleeing Ukraine on humanitarian grounds.

He made the revelation while speaking to the media in Sindh's Mirpurkhas district where he talked about the situation in Ukraine. The foreign minister is currently leading the PTI's Haqooq-i-Sindh march along with several other party leaders.

"You must have seen the video [showing] Indian students who were fleeing were given food and were taken care of by the Pakistani embassy. They were kids, they were in distress [and under] stress so we did what was possible for them on a humanitarian basis," he said.

Qureshi's remarks come after videos surfaced on social media purportedly showing Indian students sitting down and eating with Pakistani students in a cafeteria-like setting.

During the media talk, the minister also said that he had spoken with his counterparts from Poland, Romania and Hungary, all of whom assured Pakistan of their complete support in the safe evacuation of Pakistani citizens from Ukraine.

"By the grace of God, majority of children have reached safety. The ones that remain, we are working continuously to ensure that they get back home."

Calling it a "challenging situation", the minister said that the Pakistani embassy was playing its due role.

Opinion

The Dar story continues

The Dar story continues

One wonders what the rationale was for the foreign minister — a highly demanding, full-time job — being assigned various other political responsibilities.

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