150 Pakistanis board Pakistan Navy vessel from Yemen

YEMEN: With the ongoing conflict in Yemen underway, 166 stranded Pakistanis boarded a Pakistan Navy ship at Shahir Port on Saturday to be brought back home, Express News reported. 

Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam on social networking site Twitter said, the Navy vessel had sailed from Mokallah for Karachi 30 minutes ago.

Pak navy ship, with Pakistanis & evacuees of other nationalities, sailed from Petromasila terminal Mokallah for Karachi 30 minutes ago

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) April 4, 2015

The government has been making efforts to safely bring back stranded Pakistanis home amid rising tensions in the conflict-ridden state.

Read: First PIA aircraft carrying stranded Pakistanis from Yemen arrives in Karachi

The immigration process of the 166 Pakistanis at Shahir Port has been completed, Express News reported. The stranded Pakistanis will shortly board a ship that will take them to the Pakistan Navy ship that will bring them home.

 

On Friday, 176 stranded Pakistanis arrived in Islamabad from Yemen in a special flight.

Speaking to the media at the Islamabad Airport, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that there are around 300-350 more stranded Pakistanis in Sanaa and Mukalla.

“If we are allowed to send a flight to them, we will definitely do so,” Asif said.

Read: Should Pakistan be party to the Saudi-Yemen conflict?

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday that Saudi Arabia is Pakistan’s close friend and the government attaches great importance to its security and territorial integrity.

During a meeting held with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Ankara, the premier said Pakistan was seriously concerned about the deteriorating situation in Yemen.

He said both Pakistan and Turkey had close relations with Saudi Arabia, agreeing to standby Riyadh in its hour of need.

Read: Yemen crisis: Pakistan, Turkey agree to stand by Riyadh, says PM Nawaz

“We have agreed to extend all possible support for the defence of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Nawaz.

“We must make all possible efforts to resolve this issue,” he added.

Davutoglu said Turkey was maintaining contacts with Saudi Arabia, saying both Pakistan and Turkey were ready to play their role for bringing stability in the region.