Ali Jabir Malik
ISLAMABAD, Mar 03 (APP):Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday assured that overseas
Pakistanis, residing in Gulf countries, were safe, urging them and their families back home not to be panic amid
the evolving regional situation.
Addressing a media briefing at the Foreign Office, flanked by Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and Foreign Office Spokesperson ahir Andrabi, the deputy prime minister said the government had activated its Crisis Management
Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all diplomatic missions in the region to facilitate stranded Pakistanis.
“The situation in the Gulf and Iran is fluid, but there is no need to be panic. Our over 4.5 million diaspora in the
region is safe. We have received no reports suggesting any direct threat to them,” Dar said.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the Foreign Office to regularly brief the media and keep the
public informed regarding Pakistanis stranded due to airspace closures following the escalation between Iran
and Israel.
Dar said that except for Oman and certain parts inside Saudi Arabia, airspace remained closed, posing a constraint
for evacuation flights. However, he added that land routes among Gulf countries were open and being used by
Pakistanis and other nationals.
He noted that some people were travelling from Makkah Mukarrmah , Madinah Munawarah and Jeddah to Dammam
by air and then proceeding by road to Bahrain within half an hour, while Dubai could be reached in around seven
hours by road.“This facility is not limited to Pakistanis. Other nationals are also availing these routes,” he said.
The DPM said the Foreign Office Crisis Management Unit, initially activated during the Pakistan-India conflict in
May 2025 and later during developments in Iran in June 2025, was operational 24/7.
He said three centres had been activated in Tehran, Zahedan and Mashhad, where the embassy and consulates were
fully engaged. In Saudi Arabia, the Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah were active, while in the UAE, the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai were providing assistance.
Similarly, embassies in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman were fully operational, with contact details available
on the Foreign Office website and social media platforms.
A special facilitation desk had also been established to assist Pakistanis stranded in Iran and Gulf countries, he added.
Dar said Azerbaijan had extended full cooperation by offering visa-on-arrival facilities to Pakistanis crossing from northern Iran. He thanked the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister for the support.
Out of an estimated 35,000 Pakistanis in Iran, 792 had been repatriated so far, including 694 through Taftan, 59 via the Radan crossing and 39 from Astara.
He said 46 students were repatriated from Taftan and 62 from Radan border crossings.
Additionally, 64 Pakistanis had crossed into Azerbaijan, of whom 42 arrived in Lahore via Azal Airlines on March 2, while another 20 were expected to cross soon.
Dar noted that over 300 Iranian nationals holding valid visas had also crossed into Pakistan, while around 1,400 Pakistanis had entered the country through routine border movement.
Referring to the large Pakistani diaspora in the UAE, about 2.1 million, Dar said only 4,543 individuals were on
short-term visits. He confirmed that the UAE government had extended full cooperation, including temporarily opening its airport to facilitate foreign nationals’ departures.
He regretted that a Pakistani national was martyred in Abu Dhabi during missile strikes that hit not only bases but also civilian areas, including an airport and residential sites.
In Qatar, where around 350,000 Pakistanis reside, he said approximately 1,400 were short-term visitors. “Our mission confirms that the Qatari government is fully supporting them in terms of accommodation, food and visa facilitation,” he added.
In Saudi Arabia, which hosts around 2.5 million Pakistanis, Dar said the situation was stable. He said Pakistanis could avail PIA flights via Oman for repatriation, as Oman’s airspace remained open.
Similarly, Kuwait (with over 101,000 Pakistanis), Bahrain (134,064), Oman (382,000) and Jordan (around 18,000) reported no stranded cases requiring emergency evacuation.
In Iraq, Dar said around 40,000 Pakistanis reside, with 850 individuals, 350 zaireen and 500 in the Kurdistan region, currently seeking repatriation. However, airspace closure in Iraq posed a challenge. Many zaireen were in Karbala
and Najaf, and the mission was providing them necessary assistance.
Dar said he had been in constant contact with regional and international counterparts, including the foreign ministers of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Maldives, Bangladesh, Palestine and Uzbekistan, as well as the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and the EU High Representative.
“Our efforts are focused on halting the conflict and restoring diplomacy. The current conflict is between Israel and Iran. We are engaging all sides to bring the situation back to dialogue,” he said.
He recalled that Pakistan had strongly condemned the attack on Iran and issued a press statement, adding that he personally conveyed Pakistan’s position to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Iran for their full cooperation in facilitating Pakistanis visiting for religious, business, conferences and other purposes.
He also commended officers of the Crisis Management Unit and Pakistan’s missions abroad for working round the clock.
Reiterating his message, Dar said, “Our diaspora in the Gulf is safe. There is no need to be panic. We are in constant touch with our missions and host governments, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is being regularly updated on the situation.”
He assured that the government would continue to monitor developments closely and take all necessary steps to protect Pakistani nationals abroad.