Aircraft, naval vessel depart for Yemen to bring stranded Pakistanis back home
By
Web Desk /
AFP
Published: March 29, 2015
The plane is expected to transfer around 500 people stranded in the war-torn country. PHOTO: AFP
HUDAIDAH: With clock ticking for families stranded in Yemen, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft departed on Sunday to fly out Pakistani expatriates from the war-torn country, Express News reported.
The flight is expected to carry around 500 stranded Pakistanis from Hudaidah to Pakistan and will arrive back home at 6pm.
According to unofficial estimates, 600 Pakistanis are stranded in the besieged Yemeni capital of Sanaa. Pakistan’s foreign ministry officials said around 2,145 Pakistanis are currently living in Yemen.
A group of Pakistani expats including children is awaiting at the Hudaidah airport to reach back home.
A naval vessel has also departed for Yemen to evacuate the stranded citizens.
Earlier today, a Pakistani convoy had reached Hudaidah safely which was earlier allowed to leave Sanaa, hours after it was stopped at check-post attempting to flee the conflict in Yemen.
Read: 600 Pakistanis reach Hudaidah safely from the Yemeni war-torn capital
The convoy, consisted of 15 buses, had left Sanaa for Hudaidah.
“Saudi Arabia has declared Yemen a no-fly zone and we are in constant touch with the Saudi authorities to allow our planes to land on any safe airport,” Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said.
He added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had spoken to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman by telephone on March 27, restating Islamabad’s staunch support for the Gulf kingdom.
The government had devised an evacuation plan on the directives of Premier Sharif, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister House earlier in the day. The prime minister is himself monitoring the situation and has asked to be kept updated on an hourly basis.
Read: Nawaz orders immediate evacuation of stranded Pakistanis from Yemen
National television channels aired live Skype and telephone interviews with citizens stranded in Yemen who complained they were being threatened by rebels.
Read: Yemen war: Clock ticking
Iranians have made their intensions pretty clear
They are living in fools paradise if they really think that they will be marching or will be allowed to march towards KSA ... pretty laughable .... on the other hand i dont believe this news is true.....