Pakistan evacuates 500 stranded citizens from Yemen

Over 500 Pakistanis, including 116 children, have been evacuated from war-torn Yemen by a special Pakistan International Airlines flight.
The PIA flight carrying the stranded Pakistani nationals touched down at the Karachi airport late last night with 326 of the 502 evacuees than being put on flights to Islamabad.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had ordered authorities to evacuate over 3,000 Pakistanis stranded in Yemen after security situation worsened in the Gulf country.
The first Boeing 747 jumbo aircraft was dispatched yesterday which landed in Hudaidah city of Yemen, where about 600 Pakistanis were brought through road from capital Sanaa.
Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed told the media in Islamabad today that efforts were also on to evacuate and bring back home remaining Pakistani nationals in Yemen and surrounding areas.

"Our embassy in Yemen is monitoring the situation and has moved the Pakistanis still there to safer locations," he said.

Rasheed said another PIA flight would be dispatched to Yemen as soon as its gets permission from authorities there to bring back more Pakistanis.
Pakistan Ambassador to Yemen Irfan Yousuf who accompanied the evacuees home said the evacuation operation would continue.
Irfan said a convoy of 600 Pakistanis had reached Al-Hudaydah yesterday after escaping from the embattled Yemeni capital Sanaa to leave for Pakistan.
The convoy was inspected heavily by the Yemeni armed forces and the Houthi militia before it was permitted to exit Sanaa.

In Yemen, Shiite militiamen, also known as Huthis, and army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have overrun much of the country and prompted President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee for Saudi Arabia.
A Saudi-led coalition of some 10 countries began bombing Yemen on Thursday, saying it was targeting the Houthis and their allies.
Saudia Arabia has also asked Pakistan to provide military assistance.
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said a frigate belonging to Pakistan Navy had left for the Gulf of Aden on the coast of Yemen yesterday from a seaport in Karachi to rescue the stranded Pakistanis from the war-torn country.

The fully-equipped ship will provide its services to aid the evacuation process.