ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office of Pakistan announced on Monday that nearly all 1,000 Pakistani citizens stranded in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict will be evacuated within the next 24 to 48 hours.
According to the statement, 93 more Pakistanis have returned home in the fourth batch of evacuees who landed at Islamabad airport on Monday via flight no PK754. With the latest batch of evacuees, a total of 729 Pakistanis have been repatriated to Pakistan so far.
93 stranded Pakistani nationals in Sudan arrived at Islamabad International Airport via PK754 today.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 1, 2023
The Foreign Office has been working round the clock to repatriate Pakistanis stranded in Sudan ever since the conflict began earlier this month. The stranded Pakistanis in Sudan are first evacuated to Sudan Port and then transferred to Jeddah, from where the PAF brings them back home.
We are grateful to the brotherly country of Saudi Arabia for their support and assistance to Pakistanis in distress in this difficult time. https://t.co/5YOjUoUfOq
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 1, 2023
Pakistan thanks Saudi Arabia for assistance in evacuation
Pakistan thanked Saudi Arabia for their assistance to distressed Pakistanis in a difficult time. In a statement issued earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to a statement by the Saudi foreign ministry and tweeted, “We are grateful to Saudi Arabia for their support and assistance to Pakistanis in this difficult time.”
The conflict in Sudan broke out on April 15 between armed forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. More than 500 people have been killed so far in the clashes.
Daglo’s RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters, who were accused of war crimes, including genocide. The two generals controlled power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle, most recently centred on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.
The safe evacuation of Pakistani citizens from Sudan is a positive development and will provide relief to their families back home. The quick response by the Foreign Office and the cooperation of Saudi Arabia are commendable in ensuring the safe return of Pakistani citizens.
