It stated that 35 other foreign nationals requiring emergency evacuation are also on board which include eight Chinese, 11 Indians and four British citizens. The ship will reach Karachi on April 7, 2015.
A special PIA flight has been planned for Sana'a today (Sunday) to bring back 174 stranded compatriots. "An aircraft is on stand by, ground clearances have been obtained, while exemption of 'No Fly' restriction is expected shortly", according to a statement by Foreign Office.
It stated that before the September 2014 events in Sana'a, our Embassy had an estimated figure of 3,000 Pakistanis residing across Yemen.
Following the rapid deterioration of the security situation, and as a consequence of advisories issued by Pakistan Embassy to community members, a large number left Yemen. By the Embassy's reckoning, around 1,800 of our expatriates have been gradually evacuated, it added.
After further deterioration of the security situation in February 2014, and UN secretary-general's pronouncement that "Yemen is collapsing in front of our eyes", the embassy ascertained willingness of community members for emergency evacuation, the statement said, adding only 278 expressed their willingness initially. However, following the March 27 air strikes in Sana'a and other cities, the number jumped to 912.
In keeping with the instructions and guidance of the Prime Minister for immediate evacuation of all stranded Pakistanis in Yemen by all available means, a Crisis Management Cell (CMC) was set up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 28th March 2015, to chalk out and implement an emergency evacuation plan for safe return of compatriots.
The plan envisaged Air, Naval and land evacuation through third countries for the entire community in Yemen. Given the extremely delicate security situation in Sana'a, and the partial damage to the airport, Pakistanis living in the capital were brought to Al Hudeida Port by road. From there they were airlifted by a special flight after obtaining an exemption of No Fly restriction from Riyadh. The Boeing 747 flight brought back 503 compatriots on 31st March, 2015.
The statement further said that while two Pakistan Navy ships had been dispatched to the area to assist the evacuation mission on 29th and 30th March and were expected to arrive in 5-6 days in Aden, the eruption of fresh clashes in the city necessitated alternative plan.
It stated that Chinese support was enlisted since their ships were available close to Aden, undertaking an evacuation operation for their citizens. Subsequently, evacuation of 186 Pakistanis from Aden to Djibouti, through a Chinese vessel, and from Djibouti to Islamabad by a special PIA flight was undertaken on 2-3 April 2015. A special camp office was set up in Djibouti to facilitate the transit and transfer of the passengers, the statement added.
According to the updates, situation in Mokallah, where there is the third big cluster of Pakistanis in Yemen, and which had been relatively safe earlier, became critical following an Al Qaeda jailbreak.
"Assistance is also being provided, through our embassy in Oman, to 12 Pakistanis for evacuation across the land border with Oman," it stated, adding two clusters of Pakistani community in Yemen still await evacuation; 174 compatriots who could not, or did not, want to move to Al Hudeida for the planned airlift on 31st March and are now stuck up in Sana'a; and 34 community members who gathered in Al Hudeida.
As for Al Hudeida, a Pakistan Navy vessel will arrive there on Sunday morning to evacuate 34 Pakistanis, it added.