A special flight carrying 318 Pakistanis stranded in Syria, which left Beirut, Lebanon this morning, arrived in Pakistan on Thursday.
Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal and representatives of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) welcomed the returning Pakistanis. .
Speaking to passengers at the airport, Ahsan said that Lebanon issued visas to them at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz. He thanked the Prime Minister of Lebanon for returning to his country.
The Planning Minister informed that NDMA has arranged buses to take passengers to their respective destinations.
He also said he was monitoring the Prime Minister’s efforts to facilitate the return of Pakistani nationals from Syria. The Prime Minister ordered the use of available resources to ensure his return to the country.
Ahsan stressed the government’s commitment to support Pakistanis in need abroad.
“Wherever Pakistanis face challenges, they are not alone because the government of Pakistan stands with them,” he said.
Rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a blitzkrieg led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies, effectively ending fifty years in power.
The Pakistani ambassador met with residents at Beirut airport this morning. A press release stated that the aircraft will arrive at Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on December 13.
The evacuation of Pakistani citizens through Beirut was made possible by the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which included daily review meetings for evacuations from Syria. The prime minister also spoke to his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati and asked for his support in the immediate evacuation of Pakistanis left behind in Syria via Beirut.
Mikati Shehbazy assured that Lebanon will welcome Syrian Pakistani citizens wholeheartedly and provide them with everything to return home safely.
A special desk was set up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan to facilitate the arriving passengers and food was prepared for them.
Under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz, the government is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad and taking all necessary measures for their safe return.
At the same time, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mumtaz Zahra Buluch, said that the Syrian people have the right to determine their future and decide their destiny, which should not be determined by foreign intervention or outside interference.
“We are following the events in Syria and we are concerned about the wave of violence. We fully support the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria,” Buluch said at a press conference on Thursday.
Buluch said that Islamabad always supports efforts aimed at finding a comprehensive solution to the crisis in Syria.
