Pakistanis stranded in Syria arrive in Islamabad on board chartered plane

A special chartered flight carrying 318 Pakistanis stranded in Syria, that departed from Beirut, Lebanon earlier today, has arrived in Pakistan on Thursday.

Upon their arrival in Pakistan, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal, along with representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), welcomed the returning Pakistani citizens.

Speaking to the passengers at the airport, Ahsan said that Lebanon had issued visas to them at PM Shehbaz's request. He thanked the Lebanese Prime Minister for facilitating the safe return to their homeland.

The planning minister further informed the passengers that the NDMA had arranged buses to transport them to their respective destinations.

He further noted that the PM personally supervised efforts to facilitate the return of Pakistani citizens from Syria. The premier directed authorities to utilise all available resources to ensure safe repatriation, he stressed.

Ahsan reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting Pakistani citizens in need abroad.

"Wherever Pakistanis face challenges, they are not alone as the Pakistani government stands with them," he added. 

The Pakistanis were stranded after rebels ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, which brought a spectacular end to the five-decade-rule.

Pakistan’s ambassador saw off the citizens at Beirut airport earlier today. A press release said the plane would arrive at Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on December 13.

The evacuation of Pakistani citizens via Beirut was made possible by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s tireless efforts, which included daily review meetings for their evacuation from Syria. The PM also spoke with his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati and sought his support in facilitating the immediate evacuation of Pakistani nationals, stranded in Syria through Beirut.

Mikati had assured Shehbaz that Lebanon would wholeheartedly welcome Pakistani nationals from Syria and extend all possible support to them in their safe return home.

A special desk has been set up by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to facilitate the coming passengers, and refreshments have been arranged for them.

The government, under PM Shehbaz's dynamic leadership, is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad and taking all necessary steps to facilitate their safe return.

Meantime, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that it was the right of the Syrian people to determine their own future and make decisions about their destiny which any foreign interference or external imposition should not determine.

"We are following developments in Syria and are concerned about the escalation in violence. We express full support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria,” Baloch said during weekly press briefing on Thursday.

Baloch said that Islamabad has always supported the efforts aimed at finding a comprehensive solution to the crisis in Syria.