ISLAMABAD: As the evacuation process enabling hundreds of Pakistani families and individuals to leave Sudan in the wake of civil war in the African country nears conclusion, another 20 Pakistanis reached Islamabad from Jeddah in a commercial flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday.

Special arrangements were made at the Islamabad International Airport to facilitate the passengers coming from Sudan.

Foreign affairs ministry’s deputy director Moham­mad Farooq and senior officials of the departments concerned welcomed the passengers and assured them of necessary facility at the airport and assisting them in reaching their hometowns.

It is pertinent to mention that over the past three weeks, government institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan Air Force, Overseas Pakist­anis Foundation and Civil Aviation Authority, made a consolidated national operation to bring Pakistanis safely to their homes.

The first two batches of total 260 Pakistani nationals evacuated from Sudan arrived in Karachi on April 28, followed by 93 on May 1 when the Foreign Office had announced that the entire exercise would be completed in the next couple of days.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2023