Pak 'aiding' in evacuating foreign community members from Afghanistan: Officials

Amid unrest in Afghanistan following Taliban’s takeover of the country, Pakistan on Monday informed the diplomatic community in Islamabad about its efforts in aiding the evacuation of international community members from the war-torn nation.

According to news agency PTI, Pakistan’s foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood briefed the Diplomatic Corps in Islamabad on facilitation of evacuation, the foreign office stated. He briefed them regarding arrangements made by Pakistan to enable evacuation of diplomats and staff, INGOs, media, and representatives of international organisations, and others from Afghanistan.

“The members of the Diplomatic Corps were informed that all requests for evacuation/relocation may be directed to the ministry of foreign affairs, which will be processed expeditiously,” PTI reported quoting a foreign office statement.

In the matter of rendering assistance to Pakistani citizens in Afghanistan, the foreign office stated that it was not only contributing in that but the embassy of Pakistan in Kabul was also working to extend requisite consular services for such facilitation.

The embassy continued to issue visas on a fast-track basis, and procedures have also been arranged to grant visas-on-arrival at Pakistan’s international airports, the foreign office said according to PTI.

A 24/7 special inter-ministerial cell or facilitation centre has been set up in the ministry of interior to aid in such visas on arrival matters, and the telephone numbers of the centre were also shared with the Diplomatic Corps for smooth coordination associated with the evacuation.

The foreign office further stated that starting August 15, Pakistan commenced to receive special flights from Kabul. “Pakistan will continue to provide all possible assistance and facilitation to the international community for the smooth and expeditious evacuation from Afghanistan,” the foreign office was quoted as saying by PTI.

The statement from the foreign office came after two Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flights on Sunday brought back nearly 500 stranded persons from Kabul, even as more flights are scheduled, officials told PTI.

However, quoting a spokesperson of PIA, Geo News reported on Monday that the national carrier suspended flight operations to Kabul for an “unidentified period” after a “large number of people gathered at the runway” trying to flee as Taliban regained control over Afghanistan after two decades.

Notably, the carrier had plans to operate three flights between Islamabad and Kabul to bring back several more Pakistanis and other nationals wishing to depart from Kabul.

This development comes after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday praised the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan by saying Afghans have “broken the shackles of slavery”. His comments come in the backdrop of Afghanistan blaming Pakistan for providing supplies, including arms, medical aid and logistics to the Taliban.

Watch here | Imran Khan praises Taliban takeover, calls it 'breaking chains of slavery'

The group had been on a rampage for the past several weeks, capturing almost all the major provincial capitals before making their entry into Kabul on Sunday, and later in the day taking over the presidential palace.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani and some of his close aides fled the country as the Taliban were approaching the capital. Although a few Afghan social media platforms called Ghani a “coward” for leaving his fellow country people in such despair, he took to Facebook on Monday to say that his move was aimed at preventing a “flood of bloodshed.”

US troops reportedly fired shots into the air at Kabul airport on Monday after scores of Afghans assembled at the airport, trying to get to the plane in order to leave Afghanistan as Taliban fighters entered the city.

Also Read | US forces fire in air to stop jostling Afghans at Kabul airport

The US had earlier shifted its embassy to the airport and has been evacuating its diplomats and other citizens. By Monday evening, the US military put on hold its evacuation temporarily to clear the airfield at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Reuters reported citing senior defence officials.