- Nearly 250 Pakistani pilgrims stranded in Syria.
- FO says it is “monitoring the situation closely”.
- “Pakistan embassy in Syria was open to support”.
Following recent clashes and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government, the Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday that all Pakistani nationals are safe in Syria and are advised to exercise caution.
Nearly 250 Pakistani pilgrims were left stranded in a country gripped by unrest, with flights to Lahore and other cities canceled by airlines.
In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “We are closely monitoring developments in Syria.”
She said the Pakistan Embassy in Syria was open for support and advice.
“Damascus airport is now closed. Our embassy remains in contact with stranded Pakistani nationals, including Zaire. This will facilitate their return once the airport opens.
She further said that Pakistan has always supported the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and its principled position has not changed.
Dar speaks by telephone with Turkish Foreign Minister
Furthermore, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the developments in Syria.
During the telephone conversation, the Deputy Prime Minister shared details of the efforts being made by the Pakistani government for the safety and security of its nationals in Syria.
They also discussed possible cooperation between the two countries for the security of Pakistani nationals.
On the other hand, Syrian Bashar al-Assad and his family arrived in Russia and were granted asylum by Russian authorities, Russian news agencies reported citing a Kremlin source.
THE Interfax The news agency quoted the anonymous source as saying: “Syrian President Assad has arrived in Moscow. Russia has granted him (and his family) asylum on humanitarian grounds.”
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “We urge all parties involved to refrain from violence and resolve all governance issues through political means,” the statement said.
“In this regard, the Russian Federation is in contact with all Syrian opposition groups.”
Russian military bases in Syria have been placed on high alert, but there is currently no serious threat to them.
She said she was also doing everything possible to ensure the safety of Russian citizens in Syria, who the embassy advised on Friday to leave the country. The Russian embassy in Damascus told the official TASS news agency on Sunday that its staff were “fine”.
Meanwhile, Syrian rebels announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. local time until 5 a.m.
— Additional contribution from Reuters.