A special chartered flight carrying 318 Pakistanis stranded in Syria left Beirut for Islamabad on Thursday.
Pakistanis were stranded after rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning strike led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, marking a spectacular end to a five-decade rule.
The Pakistani ambassador bid farewell to the citizens at Beirut Airport earlier today. A press release said that the plane will arrive at Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on December 13.
The evacuation of Pakistani nationals through Beirut was made possible by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s tireless efforts, which included daily review meetings for their evacuation from Syria. The Prime Minister also spoke to his Lebanese counterpart Najeeb Meqati and sought his support for the immediate evacuation of Pakistani citizens trapped in Syria via Beirut.
Makati assured Shahbaz Sharif that Lebanon would wholeheartedly welcome Pakistani citizens from Syria and provide all possible assistance to them in their safe return home.
Upon arrival in Pakistan, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Measures Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, along with representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will welcome the returning Pakistanis. . Citizens
A special desk has been set up by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis for the convenience of incoming passengers and refreshments have been arranged for them.
Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz, the government is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of its citizens abroad and taking all necessary steps for their safe return.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the Syrian people have the right to determine their own future and decide their destiny, which should not be determined by any external intervention or external imposition.
“We are following the developments in Syria and are concerned about the escalation of violence. We fully support the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria,” Baloch said during a weekly press briefing on Thursday.
Baloch said that Islamabad has always supported efforts to find a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis.