Pakistan warship ‘Aslat’ arrived in Karachi on Tuesday (April 7) carrying 182 people who had been stranded in the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
The vessel, carrying 146 Pakistanis and 36 other foreigners, departed from the Yemeni port city of al Mukalla after a successful evacuation operation on April 5.
There were women and children are among the 147 Pakistanis on board the ship.
The foreigners include 11 Indians, 8 Chinese, 5 Filipinos, 4 Britons, 2 Indonesians, 2 Syrians and one each from Canada, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, officials said.
“Today a Pakistan navy ship ‘Aslat’ has brought 182 people from the Yemeni city of Mukalla. These people were rescued from the civil war going on there and brought safely to Pakistan. There are 11 women and 7 children among them. Among the rescued people are 36 people from various countries like China, Canada, India, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, UK, Indonesia, and Philippines,” an identified naval official told reporters.
Staff from the Chinese, British and Indian consulates were present at Karachi port to greet their rescued citizens.
The passengers told reporters ‘Aslat’ had reached Yemen’s southeastern city of Al-Mukallah on April 3.
However, since Mukallah has been almost entirely captured by Al-Qaeda fighters, and all roads leading to the Al-Mukallah port were closed, the ship had to switch the evacuation efforts from Mukallah to the nearby Ash Shihr port .
The evacuees said people stranded in Yemen were facing many difficulties as the Saudi-led coalition continues to bomb Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
“In Sanaa, its been bombing and gun fighting and then on the streets in Aden and possibly now also in Mukalla. So that’s the condition in Yemen right now. You cannot predict what will happen,” said an unidentified Philippines national.
There were praises for the crew of the Pakistani warship.
“This ship brought us, it was very good. I have to say that. If I do not say that, it will be ungrateful and against their hospitality,” said Indian national Surinder.
“They really looked after us. We are like kings here, like royalty. It’s the best time we’ve ever had travelling anywhere. So well done, Pakistan navy,” said John Spears, a native of Scotland.
According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, around 3,000 Pakistanis were living in Yemen before the Saudi-led airstrikes began.
About 1,800 of them have been successfully evacuated so far.
Saudi Arabia has requested Pakistan to join the coalition by contributing ground troops, navy ships and fighter jets.
However, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told a special session of Parliament earlier in the day that the country was in “no hurry” to join the offensive in Yemen.
So far, not a single lawmaker in the session has spoken in favour sending troops to join the coalition.
However, Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif has repeatedly said Pakistan would stand bySaudi Arabia if there is any threat to Riyadh’s “territorial integrity.”
Reuters
