Release of 226 detained Pakistani nationals in Libya safeguarded

Evacuation operation for stranded Pakistanis in Libya ongoing

KARACHI: Efforts to evacuate thousands of stranded Pakistanis in Libya have paid-off as the release of 226 detained Pakistani nationals has been safeguarded, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday.

Until now, this figure was unprecedented. With the total number of detainees standing at 300, the evacuation operation continues.

With the security situation deteriorating sharply, essential services came to a halt leaving between 4,000 to 5,000 Pakistanis stranded in Libya.

Following an evacuation, ordered by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) brought back 500 stranded Pakistanis in August, followed by a further 258 on Tuesday.

Since August 13, six flights have managed to evacuate Pakistanis from Libya, bringing the total number of Pakistanis evacuated from Libya to 1,727.

Efforts are continuing to provide all the required support and provisions to Pakistani nationals still in Libya.