ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (APP): Pakistan Embassy in Ukraine has safely evacuated a large number of stranded Pakistani students and Pakistani nationals despite of odd situation in the country, following the attack by Russian forces on different key cities.
Pakistan Ambassador to Ukraine Dr Noel Israel Khokhar, in a voice message on his twitter handle, said that there were about 3,000 students in Ukraine and the bulk of which had been safely evacuated. He said some 500-600 were left and the Embassy was in the process to safely evacuate them, he added.
The Ambassador said that they were making hectic efforts despite ordeals and difficulties in Ukraine. “All Pakistanis are safe and we are trying to guide them under the difficult situation,” Khokhar said, citing closure of flights, banking systems and non-availability of transport and fuel.
Despite all these difficulties, he said they had evacuated bulk of the students and would be able to evacuate the remaining few ones. They have maintained close contacts with the students, he added.
Sharing the latest details, the Ambassador said a total of 62 people including 21 family members of the Embassy staff had already been evacuated whereas 59 people were on Ukraine-Poland border for crossing.
He said that another 79 people including 67 students and 12 family members of Embassy staff were on their way to Ukraine-Poland border. A batch of 104 students from Kharkiv was arriving through train while 20 other students were being evacuated from Kyiv on a bus arranged by the Embassy.
Separately, Pakistan Embassy in Bucharest, Romania has established an additional hotline in addition to the Embassy’s already existing one which is being manned round-the-clock.
Detailed information and guidance regarding border crossing points and visas are shared on social media. Individuals were also guided separately. A cell headed by DHM and supervised by HOM for coordination with the Romanian side had been set up for facilitation of entrants mainly upon entering at Siret.
In coordination with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, arrangements were in place for the immediate issuance of visas, further onward transit and medical assistance, while accommodation arrangements had also been made in the capital.
Facilitation is being provided for further transit of those Pakistanis who intended to leave for Pakistan or any other destination of their liking.
So far, four Pakistanis, who had lodged in Bucharest, were evacuated whereas another 16 Pakistanis were expected to be evacuated today.
A team of Embassy of Pakistan in Budapest, Hungary left for Zahony border to receive 15 Pakistani students and the related arrangements were made for their reception, transport, stay in Budapest and onward travel to Pakistan.
The Embassy was in contact with three other groups having of 3, 7 and 4 members who had indicated possibility of reaching on Monday.
According to earlier details, the Embassy of Pakistan in Ukraine had received 23 more Pakistani students at Lviv facilitation desk, arriving from different cities of Ukraine including Kyiv. They were set to be transferred to the Polish border through transportation arranged by the embassy.
The Embassy had managed to evacuate 70 students from Kharkiv city which is one of the main battlegrounds between Ukrainian and Russian forces. They will be received today at around 11 am by the embassy facilitation desk at Lviv railway station.
The Embassy was also evacuating 12 family members of the Embassy staff. They were now being transported to the Ukraine-Romania border and the Embassy of Pakistan in Romania was providing all facilitation on their side of the border, it was added.
Source :VNS ISB
