ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s embassy in Ukraine said on Saturday it was facing immense difficulties in sustaining itself and Pakistani nationals trapped in Ukraine, where airstrikes continued amid Russia’s invasion.
Russia launched a multipronged assault on Ukrainian territory and major cities, including the capital, Kyiv, on Feb. 24. Air, sea, and ground attacks, have since intensified, forcing 1.2 million people to flee to neighboring European countries in just over a week.
Pakistan’s embassy has evacuated nearly 1,500 Pakistani nationals since the beginning of the invasion, but dozens still remain trapped in several Ukrainian cities.
“Air and Missile strikes continued and no city is safe in Ukraine. Food and Petrol are scarce, Pakistanis and the Mission is facing immense difficulties in sustaining themselves,” the embassy said in a statement.
It said that 35 Pakistani nationals remained in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, Mariupol, and Volyn.
Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar told Arab News that authorities were coordinating with Pakistani missions in Poland, Romania and Hungary to complete the evacuation.
“Our ambassadors were on border continuously for days, overseeing these efforts, talking to the host authorities, coordinating visas and accommodations and other arrangements,” he said.
“Especially our four missions in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Hungary are working with complete coordination. Those who remain will be evacuated soonest.”
After two rounds of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials, Moscow declared a partial cease-fire on Saturday to allow humanitarian corridors out of the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha.
According to the Pakistani embassy in Kyiv, the details of the establishment of the corridors will be decided in the third round of negotiations.
“After this we will be able to evacuate Pakistanis stuck in Mariupol, Sumy and Kherson,” the embassy said. “Humanitarian Corridor is being provided in Mariupol and it is expected that nine Pakistanis will leave today.”
'No city safe': Concerns rising for Pakistanis trapped in Ukraine amid Russian invasion
https://arab.news/m3366
'No city safe': Concerns rising for Pakistanis trapped in Ukraine amid Russian invasion
- Moscow declared a partial cease-fire on Saturday to allow humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol and Volnovakha
- Embassy says 35 Pakistani nationals remained in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, Mariupol, and Volyn
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
