Pakistan embassy closes Lviv facilitation desk as nearly 700 Pakistanis evacuated from Ukraine

People wait for a train to Poland at the railway station of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on February 26, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 28 February 2022
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Pakistan embassy closes Lviv facilitation desk as nearly 700 Pakistanis evacuated from Ukraine

  • Over 100 Pakistanis still await evacuation after Russian invasion of Eastern European nation
  • Embassy says Pakistanis stranded in Kharkiv will be evacuated once the situation improves

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani embassy on Monday said it had closed its facilitation desk in Ukraine's Lviv after 676 Pakistanis were evacuated from the Eastern European country after the Russian invasion. 

Russian and Ukrainian officials met on Monday for their first talks since the outbreak of war last week, with Kyiv demanding an "immediate ceasefire" as the number of refugees fleeing the country hit more than 500,000. 

As the delegations arrived for talks on the border between Belarus and Ukraine on day five of Moscow's invasion, the Ukrainian presidency demanded the ceasefire "and the withdrawal of troops" -- which Moscow is almost certain to reject. 

The Pakistani embassy said it had been making efforts to evacuate all the remaining Pakistani nationals from Ukraine at the earliest. 

"Since majority of Pakistanis in Ukraine have already been evacuated, therefore, Facilitation Desk at Lviv has been closed with effect from today," the embassy said in a statement on Monday. 

"At the moment, situation in Kharkiv is very precarious. As soon as the situation improves, rest of the students will be evacuated." 

There had been around 4,000 Pakistani community members and 3,000 students in Ukraine, majority of whom had already left the Eastern European country. 

At present, around 100 Pakistanis were on their way to Ternopil, six in Lviv, nine in Ternopil and eight others were on way to the Ukraine-Hungary border, the embassy said. 

On Sunday, the embassy asked Pakistani nationals to follow local rules and regulations after 15 students were arrested while trying to escape to Germany from Poland. 

It said the evacuated students were getting a 15-day visa, adding they could not travel to any other country except their own.


Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace

Updated 30 January 2026
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Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace

  • Government warns pilgrims biometric verification is required for Hajj visas
  • Step follows tighter oversight after last year’s Hajj travel disruptions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Friday urged aspiring pilgrims to complete mandatory Saudi biometric verification for Hajj visas, as preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage gather pace following stricter oversight of the Hajj process.

The announcement comes only a day after Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said regulations for private Hajj operators had been tightened, reducing their quota following widespread complaints last year, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were unable to travel under the private Hajj scheme.

“Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for the issuance of Hajj visas,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement, urging pilgrims to complete the process promptly to avoid delays.

“Hajj pilgrims should complete their biometric verification at home using the ‘Saudi Visa Bio’ app as soon as possible,” it added.

The statement said the pilgrims who were unable to complete biometric verification through the mobile application should visit designated Saudi Tasheer centers before Feb. 8, adding that details of the centers were available on Pakistan’s official Hajj mobile application.

Pakistan has been steadily implementing digital and procedural requirements for pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2026, including mandatory training sessions, biometric checks and greater use of mobile applications, as part of efforts to reduce mismanagement.

Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, with the majority of seats reserved under the government scheme and the remainder allocated to private tour operators.