ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that the closure of air routes in Iran and several Gulf countries has left passengers from Pakistan and other nations stranded, while approximately 33,000 Pakistanis remain in Iran.
Speaking at a media briefing in Islamabad, Dar confirmed that one Pakistani national was martyred after a missile fell in Abu Dhabi. He added that around 40,000 Pakistanis are currently in Iraq, many of them pilgrims, while about 350,000 Pakistanis reside in Qatar, including 1,450 individuals on visit visas.
The foreign minister further stated that approximately 300 Iranian citizens have arrived in Pakistan. So far, 792 Pakistanis have returned from Iran, while 64 reached Azerbaijan after crossing the border.
Dar noted that air routes across Iran and most Gulf states remain closed, except in Oman and Saudi Arabia. Although land routes in Gulf countries remain open, travel through them is time-consuming. He expressed gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan for assisting in the evacuation of Pakistani nationals, adding that flights are operating from Baku to facilitate their return.
Highlighting the large Pakistani diaspora, Dar said that approximately 2.5 million Pakistanis reside in Saudi Arabia.
He also pointed to the existing defense agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, stating that recent developments show Iran carried out the fewest attacks against Saudi Arabia and Oman.
