149 Pakistanis evacuated from Sudan arrive in Karachi

The first group of Pakistanis arrived safely in Karachi on Friday as the country works to repatriate citizens from chaos-torn Sudan.

In a tweet today, the Foreign Office (FO) announced that 149 citizens had made it back to their home country safely.

"Safe evacuation of every Pakistani and bringing them home safe remains our top priority," it said.

Fighting that broke out on April 15 in Sudan has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished country, where millions of people have been left without access to basic services.

On April 26, the FO said that 37 Pakistani nationals from Port Sudan had arrived in Jeddah via ship.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto had said the total number of Pakistanis sent from Sudan's capital Khartoum to Port Sudan for repatriation was 700.

700 Pakistanis reach Port Sudan for repatriation: FM Bilawal

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated the entire Pakistani team and other security officials involved in the evacuation of Pakistanis from Sudan.

In a statement on Friday, he expressed his satisfaction over the safe arrival of 847 Pakistanis at the port of Sudan.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that the United States was working with Sudan’s warring generals to extend an expiring, shaky ceasefire that he helped broker.

“We are very actively working to extend the ceasefire,” Blinken told reporters.

He also said that the United States was working to establish a more regular route for the departure of foreigners from Sudan.