ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia is working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of all Umrah pilgrims to the South Asian country as the Kingdom suspended much of its international flight operations amid rising fear of coronavirus, Ambassador Raja Ali Ejaz told Arab News via telephone from Riyadh on Friday.
“Our first priority is that we should ensure the safe return of all Pakistani Umrah pilgrims. We have taken this matter with the Saudi ministry of interior and will find a solution after consultation with its officials,” he said.
“I am going to discuss this situation with the Saudi authorities and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to find a viable solution,” the envoy added. “We will also discuss the evacuation option for Pakistani pilgrims by launching special Pakistan International Airlines flights.”
Saudi officials on Thursday suspended flight operations between the Kingdom and much of the European continent. They did the same with 12 other countries in Africa and Asia, including Pakistan, as the number of coronavirus cases in the Arab country jumped to 62.
The Pakistani envoy said the Saudi authorities had taken the harsh decision since coronavirus carriers were entering the Kingdom from various international destinations.
“Saudi Arabia has now given a 72-hour ultimatum to Iqama holders who are outside the Kingdom to return to the country within that period. After that, the Kingdom will suspend flight operations to many countries, including Pakistan,” he said.
“This raises concerns about Umrah pilgrims since they will not be able to return to their homeland after the expiry of their visas,” the ambassador said.
Discussing the safety of Pakistani expats in the Kingdom, he said that the country’s diplomatic mission was trying to educate them about preventive measures.
“Saudi Arabia hosts the largest segment of overseas Pakistanis in the world,” he continued, “so we are trying to ensure the safety of more than 2.5 million Pakistanis through our embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah. We are trying to educate them to improve personal hygiene and take other preventive measures by following adviseries issued by relevant Saudi health ministries.”
The spokesperson of Pakistan’s consulate general in Jeddah, Arshad Munir, said that nearly 30,000 Pakistani Umrah pilgrims were present in Makkah and Jeddah due to the cancelation of flights that were mostly operated by Gulf countries.
“We have asked the PIA to arrange seats for such pilgrims who were left behind by Gulf airlines,” he told Arab News from Jeddah.
He added that in order to facilitate the timely return of the Pakistani Umrah pilgrims, a committee comprising three consulate general officials had been constituted in Jeddah and their contact details had been shared with the pilgrims.
“The refund through travel agents has already started since airlines provide full refunds when their flights are canceled,” Munir said. “The Saudi government has also given contact details of its officials which we have shared with pilgrims. These people will deal with pilgrims’ compensation issues.”
Safe return of Umrah pilgrims to Pakistan first priority — envoy
https://arab.news/6g6dq
Safe return of Umrah pilgrims to Pakistan first priority — envoy
- Pakistan’s ambassador in Riyadh says the country may initiate special PIA flights to help its nationals in the Kingdom
- Officials say about 30,000 Pakistani Umrah pilgrims are stranded in Makkah and Jeddah after Gulf airlines suspended flights
Pakistan urges equal application of international law, flags Indus treaty at UN debate
- Pakistani envoy says silence over violations of international law are fueling conflicts from South Asia to Gaza
- He urges the UN secretary-general to use the Charter’s preventive tools more proactively to help avert conflicts
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s UN ambassador on Monday called for equal application of international law in resolving global conflicts, warning that India’s decision to hold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and the unresolved dispute over Kashmir continued to threaten stability in South Asia.
Speaking at an open debate of the UN Security Council on “Leadership for Peace,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said selective enforcement of international law and silence in the face of violations were fueling conflicts worldwide, undermining confidence in multilateral institutions.
His remarks come months after a brief but intense military escalation between India and Pakistan in May, following a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed the attack on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied while calling for a transparent international probe.
The attack triggered a military standoff between the two South Asian nuclear neighbors and prompted New Delhi to suspend the World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty, a move Pakistan says has no basis in international law and has described as “an act of war.”
“India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a rare and enduring example of successful diplomacy — is yet another blatant breach of international obligations that undermines regional stability and endangers the lives and livelihoods of millions,” Ahmad told the council.
He said Jammu and Kashmir remained one of the oldest unresolved disputes on the Security Council’s agenda and required a just settlement in line with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, a position India has long rejected.
Ahmad broadened his remarks to global conflicts, citing Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other crises, and said peace could not be sustained through “selective application of international law” or by sidelining the United Nations when violations occur.
The Pakistani envoy also referred to the Pact for the Future, a political declaration adopted by UN member states this year aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation, accelerating progress toward the 2030 development goals and reforming global governance institutions.
While welcoming the pact, Ahmad warned that words alone would not deliver peace, pointing to widening development financing gaps, rising debt distress and climate shocks that he said were reversing development gains across much of the Global South.
He called for a stronger and more proactive role for the UN Secretary-General, including earlier use of preventive tools under the UN Charter, and urged the Security Council to demonstrate credibility through consistency, conflict prevention and greater respect for international court rulings.
“No nation can secure peace alone,” Ahmad said. “It is a collective endeavor, requiring leadership, cooperation and genuine multilateralism.”
