ISLAMABAD: The foreign office said on Thursday about 3,000 Pakistani nationals have been evacuated from Iran following the Israeli attack, adding the country’s diplomatic mission is working to facilitate stranded students seeking urgent evacuation.
A week of Israeli air and missile strikes, which began on June 13, has led to the killing of many of Iran’s top-ranking military officials and ordinary people. In response, Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have also killed about two dozen civilians in Israel.
Following Friday’s escalation, Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights, stranding hundreds of expatriates, including Pakistani religious tourists, students and workers.
“The evacuation is moving smoothly and so far, nearly 3,000 Pakistani nationals have already been evacuated,” foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters in his weekly media briefing.
“Our consulates in Zahedan and Mashhad have been active round the clock, extending all possible facilitation and support to our nationals who are in Iran,” he said, expressing gratitude to the Iranian authorities for their sensitivity and all possible facilitation and help extended in this process.
