ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the authorities to ensure the safe evacuation of Pakistanis wishing to return from Syria after rebel forces captured Damascus.
The prime minister issuing the directives while chairing a meeting held hto review the current situation of Syria and safe evacuation of Pakistanis present in the country.
He called for taking all possible steps for the safe evacuation of Pakistanis from Syria, via neighbouring countries.
Saying the safety of the lives and property of Pakistan national in Syria is government’s top priority, he resolved to use all resources to keep them safe.
He also directed the Pakistan Embassy in Damascus to establish an information desk and a helpline to facilitate the Pakistanis.Pakistan’s cuisine
Until the security situation improves, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Crisis Management Unit and information desks at Pakistani embassies in Syria and its neighboring countries should remain operational round the clock, PM Shehbaz directed.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, and senior officials from relevant departments.
A day earlier, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country on Sunday and sought asylum in Russia after thousands of rebel forces members stormed the capital.
Assad, who became president in 2000, escaped on a plane while his location remains unknown as rebel forces claimed control of Damascus. Officials confirmed that the Syrian president’s plane took off from the capital around the same time rebels announced their victory.
Syria’s army command informed officers that his 24-year rule comes to an end. The development comes as rebels declared full control over the city of Homs after just one day of fighting.
