Pakistani pilgrims stranded in Syria cross into Lebanon

BEIRUT: Around 350 Pakistani nationals including 245 pilgrims, who were stranded in Syria, have crossed the Lebanon border, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Hundreds of Pakistani pilgrims are still trapped in Syria following the crisis triggered by the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that under the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the Embassy of Pakistan in Damascus facilitated the repatriation process.

Deputy Head of Mission in Syria Umar Hayat accompanied the Pakistani nationals to the border, as Deputy Head of Mission in Beirut, Nawab Adil, received fellow citizens in Lebanon.

PM Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reached out to his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati, seeking urgent help in the immediate evacuation of Pakistani nationals stranded in Syria.

PM Shehbaz personally contacted PM Mikati, requesting his support in facilitating the safe return of Pakistani nationals stranded in Syria through Beirut.

Lebanese PM Mikati assured PM Shehbaz that Lebanon would extend all possible assistance to these stranded individuals and facilitate their safe return home.

Subsequently, the prime minister also spoke with Pakistan’s Ambassadors in Syria and Lebanon, directing them to provide all necessary support and cooperation to the stranded Pakistanis in Syria to ensure their safe return home.

Earlier on December 8, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch urged Pakistani citizens in Syria to exercise caution amidst the evolving situation in the region.

In an official statement, the spokesperson affirmed that Pakistan is closely monitoring developments in Syria. She reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, emphasizing that this principled stance remains unchanged.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch assured that Pakistani citizens currently in Syria are safe. She noted that Pakistan’s embassy in Syria is fully operational and available to provide assistance and guidance to citizens as needed.