Pakistan has evacuated 1,100 people from Afghanistan: UN envoy

  • Munir Akram says Pakistan's embassy in Kabul is open and extending facilitation to all those seeking visas
  • Pakistan is flying three flights into Kabul airport daily to evacuate about 500 to 600 people, adds Akram
20 Aug, 2021

Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Munir Akram has said that Islamabad has evacuated about 1,100 people including diplomats, staff of diplomatic missions and international agencies and journalists from Afghanistan.

"Our embassy in Kabul is open and extending facilitation to all those seeking visas and want to utilise Pakistan as a transit point to leave Afghanistan," Akram said in an interview with CNN.

He added that Pakistan is flying three flights into Kabul airport each day to evacuate about 500 to 600 people.

"The situation in Afghanistan is challenging but our embassy is operating," he mentioned. They are processing all applicants seeking visas and those who want to utilise Pakistan as a transit point to leave Afghanistan, Akram added.

US military has evacuated 3,200 people from Afghanistan so far: official

The UN envoy maintained that the country would also facilitate those wanting to enter Pakistan through the land border between the two neighbours, provided they have the necessary documentation.

"But right now, the focus has been on the airport which is under US control, and we are utilising that to evacuate as many people as possible," he said.

Earlier today, Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan assured that the embassy is arranging the evacuation of about 350 Pakistanis and foreign nationals.

Pakistan continues evacuation process, two more flights expected to return from Afghanistan

He shared that two special flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be evacuating 350 people. The ambassador further said that their boarding would be arranged in a safe manner so they can reach Pakistan, and proceed to their destination from here.

PIA had suspended its flight operation due to the uncertainty at the Kabul airport. However, flight operations resumed after commercial flights were allowed by Afghan CAA to land at the airport.

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