The Foreign Office reported on Monday that the first batch of 500 Pakistanis have successfully arrived at the country’s port for their further voyage to Saudi Arabia through sea, despite the fact that the situation in the violently unrest-stricken Sudan is becoming more hazardous by the day and evacuations are accelerating.
The FO’s remark comes after a declaration made on Sunday by the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Islamabad that 91 persons from several nations, including Pakistan, had been evacuated from Sudan.
According to a statement from the PM Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has personally overseen for the past 72 hours the emergency plan for the evacuation of Pakistani people.
With the assistance of the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan International Airlines, the 500 evacuated Pakistanis would be flown back to Pakistan from Jeddah on special aircraft.
On the instruction of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the government is giving these Pakistanis temporary housing and food. The Pakistani embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, has also set up an emergency number.
To secure the safe return of stranded Pakistanis from Sudan, where hundreds have been slain during the ongoing fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces, the crisis management unit at the FO has been revived.
The FO stated that the security measures for Pakistani people in Sudan are being closely watched and that Pakistan’s embassy is also in touch with them.
The foreign minister has already praised the governments of Egypt and Turkey for their assistance in this matter as Pakistan’s diplomatic missions and those of other nations in the area supported Pakistan in the evacuation process.
Additionally, Mr. Bhutto-Zardari spoke on the phone with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and the two also discussed regional and global matters of shared concern.
The aid the kingdom provided in getting Pakistanis out of there was greatly appreciated, the foreign minister said. He concurred that the two nations will work closely to coordinate evacuations.
The kingdom’s foreign minister expressed optimism that the restoration of diplomatic ties with Iran will bring about peace and prosperity in the region.
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“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a strong, enduring bond that is characterised by mutual trust, understanding, close cooperation, and support for one another. The guardian of the two sacred mosques is held in the highest regard by the people of Pakistan, the FM reportedly told his Saudi counterpart.
The foreign minister, minister of state Hina Rabbani Khar, foreign ministry employees, and Pakistan’s ambassador to Sudan were all praised by PM Shehbaz for their efforts.
The military leaders and other pertinent parties received special praise from the prime minister for their knowledge and diligence in creating a successful evacuation plan and carrying it out.
He thanked the Director General of ISI, Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, for their particular efforts during the risky and difficult evacuation process.
91 persons were evacuated on Sunday, according to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Pakistan, which stated that the operation was carried out on orders from the royal government by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces with assistance from other military divisions.
“We are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the Kingdom citizens who were evacuated from the Republic of Sudan, as well as several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries, including diplomats and international officials,” the statement read.
66 persons in all were evacuated, coming from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso.
In order to prepare for their departure to their different nations, the kingdom also sought to meet all of the demands of foreign citizens.
Heavy fighting at Khartoum’s main airport has virtually shut down operations and sparked a number of evacuation missions to save foreign nationals and diplomats by land, air, and sea, according to AFP.
A few people are being evacuated via nearby Djibouti and adjoining Egypt, while others are leaving from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which is located 850 km from Khartoum.
On Monday, a 700-person UN convoy that had had a difficult journey to Port Sudan arrived.
