Govt moves to evacuate Pakistanis from Syria

Shehbaz seeks Lebanon's help for return 260 pilgrims among 1,000 Pakistanis stranded Pakistanis fearful, stay i

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the foreign minister and the Pakistan Embassy in Damascus to urgently formulate a plan for the safe evacuation of Pakistani citizens in Syria, following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

According to the embassy, over 1,000 Pakistani nationals, including 260 pilgrims, are currently in Syria. International media reported on Monday that many Pakistani pilgrims, alarmed by the situation, have confined themselves to their hotels.

In a seismic moment for the Middle East, the Syria's Islamist rebels declared they had ousted Assad after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday, forcing him to flee to Moscow and ending his family's decades of autocratic rule after more than 13 years of civil war.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group said its fighters had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments. Reportedly, Assad left Syria via Damascus airport before the army security forces disappeared from the streets.

Chairing a meeting on the situation in Syria, the PM directed the relevant authorities to devise an action plan for the swift and safe evacuation of Pakistanis wishing to return, utilizing neighboring countries as transit points.

"All possible steps should be taken to ensure the safe evacuation of Pakistanis from Syria," the prime minister stressed. "The safety of Pakistanis' lives and property in Syria is our top priority," the prime minister told the participants of the meeting.

He directed the Pakistan Embassy in Damascus to establish an information desk and a helpline to facilitate the Pakistanis. He added that the foreign ministry's Crisis Management Unit and information desks at the embassies in Syria and its neighbouring countries should remain open round the clock.

Later, the prime minister spoke with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and sought his personal intervention and support in facilitating the immediate evacuation of the Pakistani nationals, currently stranded in Syria, through Beirut.

The two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Syria, according to a press release issued by the Media Wing of the Prime Minister's Office. Mikati assured Shehbaz that Lebanon would welcome Pakistani nationals from Syria and extend all possible support to them in their safe return home.

Thereafter, the prime minister spoke to Pakistan's ambassadors in Syria and Lebanon and instructed them to extend all possible assistance and cooperation to the stranded Pakistanis in Syria and facilitate their safe return home.

According to a BBC report, Pakistani pilgrims spoke of the difficulties. A Pakistani citizen told the BBC that the situation started deteriorating from Saturday evening. He added that he left for the airport 6 hours before his expected departure for Pakistan but he was told that all flights had been cancelled.

He said that sporadic gunfire could be heard in Damascus and many Pakistanis were scared and had confined themselves to their hotels. The Foreign Office in a statement had said on Sunday that Damascus Airport was closed and the embassy would take measures for the return of the pilgrims.

"Pakistani nationals are safe in Syria and have been advised to exercise caution. The Embassy of Pakistan in Syria is open for support and advice," the statement said. "It will facilitate their return once the airport opens," the statement added.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone conversation with Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the Syria situation. They also discussed possible cooperation between the two countries for the safety of the Pakistan nationals, the Foreign Office said.

According to Pakistan embassy officials, a request for special flights had been sent to the Foreign Office for the return of the pilgrims. The embassy officials in Damascus also told BBC that 81 pilgrims, who possessed the return tickets, were sent to Beirut on Monday for their onward journey.

The embassy, meanwhile, said in a statement on the foreign ministry website that it remained "actively engaged to facilitate Pakistani nationals" in Syria. It also shared its cellphone and WhatsApp contact details: [phone] and [phone].

"In view of the recent developments and evolving situation in Syria, Pakistan nationals are advised to avoid unnecessary travel or visit to Syria until the situation improves. Those currently in Syria are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain in contact with the embassy," it added.

In the wake of the evolving situation in Syria, the Foreign Ministry had also activated its Crisis Management Unit to facilitate Pakistanis in Syria. "Pakistani nationals in Syria and their families are encouraged to contact the CMU at the telephone: [phone] and email: [e-mail]"

(WITH INPUTS FROM APP & NEWS DESK)