Mar 31, 2015
News
Pakistan may seek Chinese help for evacuation.
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Monday said the possibility of evacuation of stranded Pakistanis from Aden through Chinese assistance is being explored. “Since Chinese vessels are already there currently undertaking evacuation operations for their citizens in Aden, Pakistan is seeing it as a parallel option,” Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said in a statement.
The spokesperson said that it was heartening that over 500 stranded Pakistanis in Yemen had been timely evacuated, owing to excellent coordination of all departments concerned, including the PIA. “The focus of our endeavours has now shifted to evacuate the remaining Pakistanis, stuck mainly in Aden and Mokallah,” she said.
The spokesperson said the renewed fighting around Aden has prevented the envisaged movement of Pakistanis stranded in Aden to Mokallah, which is at about nine hours driving distance.
“As such, even as a PIA aircraft is on stand-by to fly to Mokallah to air-lift the stranded Pakistanis in Aden and Mokallah, we now have to use the sea evacuation option,” said the spokesperson. She said two Pakistani Navy ships have been dispatched to the area and are expected to reach in a few days. These vessels will evacuate Pakistanis from Aden and Mokalla and all logistic arrangements for the evacuation are being worked out. Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Aviation Shujaat Azeem said a PIA airplane will depart for Yemen Tuesday morning to evacuate the second batch of Pakistani citizens. He said the Foreign Office had arranged special authorization to fly over Yemen’s no-fly zone for the first PIA plane that brought back 503 citizens. A PIA spokesman confirmed that a second, smaller plane with a capacity of around 230 passengers was being despatched.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk