Foreign ministry says mass evacuation from Middle East not required

ISLAMABAD: Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday assured the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis that there was no situation requiring a mass evacuation of Pakistani nationals from the Middle East.

The head of the MoFA’s Crisis Management Cell gave a detailed briefing to the NA committee about the number of Pakistanis stranded in various Middle Eastern countries due to the ongoing conflict and about the efforts being made to repatriate them.

In the meeting, presided over by PPP MNA Syed Agha Rafiullah, the committee members expressed their serious concerns over the manifold increase in airline fares, particularly by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The ministry official informed the committee that Pakistanis were facing fuel shortages and transport problems in various countries, adding that the absence of public transport had created further difficulties for them.

“Gulf missions reported large registered populations but comparatively manageable evacuee numbers,” read a statement issued by the NA Secretariat.

“The Mission in Qatar recorded over 10,000 registrations with 215 people classified as actively stranded (most being assisted), and the Mission in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported over 8,500 registrations, including 4,543 Pakistani passengers in transit; and 4,400 of these have left UAE via 40 commercial flights,” it stated.

The MoFA official told the meeting that the number of Pakistanis in Azerbaijan was not huge. Facilities have been provided to 113 Pakistanis, while 58 have already returned to Pakistan.

During the meeting, PPP MNA Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto questioned the officials: “If everything is normal, why is evacuation being discussed? At least take a clear position on whether the situation is fine.”

An official from the Pakistani diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi clarified that the situation was under control and that assistance was only being provided to people stranded at airports, adding that there was no large-scale evacuation.

At one point during the meeting, Bhutto remarked, “The aircraft worth Rs11 billion that Maryam Nawaz purchased should also be used now.”

The committee member suggested that the aircraft should be used to bring stranded Pakistanis back home.

To this, Rafiullah, heading the panel, remarked jokingly, “Does that mean only 12 people will be brought back in it?”

PML-Q’s Muhammad Ilyas Chaudhry, who had contested the elections as a PTI-backed candidate, also supported Bhutto’s suggestion.

UAE

An official of the Pakistani diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi also briefed the NA panel.

He said 14 Pakistanis departed from Dubai and six from Sharjah through flights on Monday.

A few Pakistanis were repatriated to Pakistan on medical grounds, the official noted.

Speaking about the two Pakistanis who died in incidents related to the interception of missiles — one each in Abu Dhabi and Dubai — the official said both were drivers by profession.

One body has already been repatriated to Pakistan, while the body of the Pakistani who died in Dubai has not yet been dispatched.

Officials reiterated that no emergency situation existed.

Pakistanis who had come on visit visas were also being sent back, said the officials, adding that while they can also travel by land through Saudi Arabia and Oman, no Pakistani has yet opted for land routes.

Saudi Arabia

The NA committee was informed that around 2.5 million Pakistanis live in Saudi Arabia, where the situation was tense but stable.

Saudi Arabia’s air and land borders are open, and flights of PIA and Pakistani private airlines are operating normally.

The Pakistani mission was in contact with neighbouring countries’ embassies and the host government.

Officials stated that facilities had been provided to 163 stranded Pakistanis, and 91 have already returned to Pakistan from Riyadh by air.

The remaining Pakistanis were being provided with accommodation and other facilities, the meeting was informed.

Qatar

Noting that around 350,000 Pakistanis reside in Qatar, the ministry said the situation was stable, although some concerns remained.

For a possible evacuation, 10,188 Pakistanis have registered with the mission.

According to the briefing, 215 Pakistanis had been stranded in Qatar, out of whom 97 have already returned to Pakistan. The remaining are expected to depart on March 11.

Qatar’s airspace has been partially reopened, and limited number of commercial flights are operating. Special relief flights are also being operated, said officials.

The land borders of Qatar remain open, and the Qatari government has not yet announced any evacuation.

The stranded Pakistanis have been provided accommodation, food and visa facilities with the Qatari government’s cooperation. There were also plans to bring 55 Pakistani students back via Saudi Arabia through the land border.

‘Tense’ situation in Iraq

According to MoFA, the security situation in Iraq was tense in Iraq, where around 40,000 Pakistanis reside.

Iranian drone and missile attacks on US bases, including near Baghdad Airport, have been reported.

Arrangements are underway for the return of 1,277 Pakistanis, including about 450 pilgrims. Transit visas through Saudi Arabia and Turkiye were being arranged for their return, said the officials.

Iraq’s airspace is closed, so Pakistanis are being brought back through land routes via Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

Accommodation and food were being arranged for pilgrims in Karbala and Najaf, the NA committee was told.

Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain

The committee was told that the situation in Kuwait — where 101,976 Pakistanis live — was tense but under control, though there were concerns about possible drone and missile attacks.

Kuwait’s airspace is closed, but no Pakistani is reported stranded.

A total of 158 Pakistanis stranded in transit were sent back through Saudi Arabia’s land border. The host government has not announced any evacuation.

In Oman, where around 382,000 Pakistanis reside, the situation was stable.

Oman’s airspace was open, and flights to Pakistan by PIA, AirSial, SalamAir, and Oman Air were operating.

From Muscat Airport, 68 Pakistanis were facilitated in returning home, and 38 Pakistanis were helped in obtaining Omani transit visas. Among them, 37 came from the UAE and one from Saudi Arabia.

Some 1,940 of the 134,064 Pakistanis residing in Bahrain have registered with the Mission, the NA committee was told. The MoFA official said 81 Pakistanis living near the US naval base had been relocated to safe shelters.

Bahrain’s airspace is closed, but Pakistanis can travel by land through Saudi Arabia.

Rapidly deteriorating situation in Lebanon

In Lebanon, where about 600–700 Pakistanis live, the MoFA official said the situation was rapidly deteriorating, with intensified Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in southern and eastern Lebanon.

Multiple Israeli strikes have taken place in the southern suburbs of Beirut and evacuation has begun in southern Lebanon.

Around 16,000 to 18,000 Pakistanis reside in Jordan, where the situation was stable, and no Pakistani has been reported stranded, the NA committee was informed.

Jordan’s airspace is partially open.

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Operational Challenges

The committee was also briefed on operational challenges:

• Disruptions in air travel, with most commercial flights suspended in conflict zones.
• Limited alternative routes for returning Pakistanis.
• Greater reliance on land routes for evacuation.
• A rapidly changing security environment, requiring real-time planning and emergency measures.
• Uncertainty about the duration of the conflict, requiring continuous operational preparedness and resource planning.
• High airfares due to limited flights and increased demand, making alternative tickets extremely expensive.