Special flight to evacuate Pakistani nationals from Lebanon arrives today

Evacuees travelled by road to Damascus, Syria, before being airlifted to Pakistan, says FO

ISLAMABAD:

A special flight carrying 67 Pakistani nationals evacuated from Lebanon is scheduled to arrive in Karachi early Wednesday morning, the foreign office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The evacuees travelled by road to Damascus, Syria, before being airlifted to Pakistan. The flight will also carry four Pakistanis evacuated from Syria.

"The security, transport, and food arrangements were made by the Pakistan Embassies in Lebanon and Syria to ensure a smooth and incident-free evacuation," the foreign office statement added.

This follows earlier reports confirming that Pakistani citizens trapped in Lebanon due to the ongoing conflict would be repatriated on a special flight.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan has granted approval for Cham Wings, a Syrian airline, to conduct the evacuation mission.

"Cham Wings will operate a special flight using an Airbus A320 to bring back 180 Pakistanis from Lebanon," a CAA official confirmed, adding that the operation is expected within the next 48 hours.

Southern Beirut has been heavily targeted by Israeli airstrikes amid the ongoing military operations, raising safety concerns for foreign nationals, including Pakistanis.

The evacuation of Pakistani nationals is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to repatriate citizens as regional tensions escalate.