ISLAMABAD: With the situation in the violence-hit Sudan getting precarious by the day and evacuations picking pace, the Foreign Office on Monday announced that the first batch of 500 Pakistanis have reached the country’s port safely for their onward to Saudi Arabia through sea.

The FO’s statement follows an announcement by Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Islamabad on Sunday, saying 91 people from various countries, including Pakistan, have been evacuated from Sudan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been personally monitoring for the last 72 hours the emergency plan for the evacuation of Pakistani nationals, APP quoted the PM Office as saying in a statement.

The 500 evacuated Pakistanis would be brought back home from Jeddah through special flights with the cooperation of Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan International Airlines.

PM personally monitoring rescue efforts; S. Arabia evacuates scores, including Pakistanis

These Pakistanis are being provided temporary accommodation and food by the government on the directive of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Besides, an emergency helpline has been established at the Pakistan’s embassy in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

The crisis management cell at the FO has been reactivated to ensure safe repatriation of stranded Pakistanis from Sudan, where hundreds have been killed during the ongoing fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces.

The measures for the protection of Pakistani nationals in Sudan are being constantly monitored and Pakistan’s embassy is also in contact with them, the FO said.

The diplomatic missions of Pakistan and other countries in the region were supporting Pakistan in the evacuation process and the foreign minister has already thanked the governments of Egypt and Turkiye in this regard.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari has also talked to his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan over telephone and the two also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The foreign minister expressed profound gratitude for the kingdom’s assistance in the evacuation of Pakistanis. He agreed that the two countries would closely coordinate to facilitate evacuations.

The foreign minister expressed confidence that resumption of the kingdom’s diplomatic relations with Iran would lead to regional peace and prosperity.

“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are bound by fraternal relationship marked by mutual trust and understanding, close cooperation and an abiding tradition of supporting each other. The people of Pakistan hold the custodian of the two holy mosques in the highest esteem,” the FM was quoted to have told his Saudi counterpart.

PM Shehbaz lauded the efforts of the foreign minister, Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar, foreign ministry officers and Pakistan’s ambassador in Sudan.

The premier particularly appreciated the military authorities and other relevant people for their expertise and dutifulness in formulating an effective evacuation plan and its successful implementation.

He expressed gratitude to Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu and Director General of ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum for their special efforts in the evacuation process which involved multiple challenges and risks.

On Sunday, the Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Pakistan while announcing the evacuation of 91 people said that the operation was carried out by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces with the support of various branches of the armed forces on the directives of the kingdom’s leadership.

“We are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the citizens of the Kingdom who were evacuated from the Republic of Sudan as well as several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries, including diplomats and international officials,” it said.

A total of 66 people from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso were evacuated.

The kingdom worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals in preparation for their departure to their respective countries, it added.

The main airport in Khartoum has been the site of heavy clashes, effectively shutting its operations and sparking multiple evacuation operations to rescue foreign citizens and diplomats by road, air and sea, AFP adds.

Some evacuations are taking place from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, an 850km drive from Khartoum, and others via nearby Djibouti and neighbouring Egypt.

A UN convoy carrying 700 people completed on Monday the arduous trip to Port Sudan.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2023