Syria Evacuation: 318 stranded Pakistani nationals return safely

ISLAMABAD: More Pakistanis who were stranded in Syria due to the dire circumstances have been successfully repatriated to hometown, ARY News reported.

According to reports, a total of 318 Pakistani citizens returned via a chartered flight. They traveled from Syria to Lebanon’s capital Beirut before arriving in Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal welcomed the returnees, noting that they had been stuck due to the adverse situation.

Ahsan Iqbal extended his congratulations to the returnees and expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister of Lebanon for his assistance in this matter.

Earlier, a group of 81 Pakistanis including pilgrims, who were stranded in Syria, and crossed the Lebanon border. safely returned to Lahore.

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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.

It is pertinent to share that the capture of the Syrian capital, Damascus, by rebel forces marked the conclusion of the prolonged tenure of the ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Subsequently, Muhammad al-Bashir was appointed as the prime minister of the transitional government in Syria.