Pakistan today said it has successfully completed the evacuation of all its nationals from Yemen who wanted to leave the embattled country.
The Yemen situation worsened after Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes beginning last month against Shia Houthi rebels who had toppled the government.
The Foreign Office (FO) said that "1,019 stranded Pakistanis have been evacuated from Yemen in the last 10 days by three special flights, three naval evacuations and a land evacuation, through neighbouring Oman".
Only about 100-150 people have been left who chose to stay back, the FO said.
"The emergency evacuation operation has thus effectively culminated on 7th April, 2015 since we do not have any more compatriots registered for evacuation," it said.
It was the first wide-scale evacuation from Yemen, through special flights and Navy ships, during the current crisis, and the first to conclude successfully, safely bringing back all nationals wanting to evacuate, at a minimal cost to the national exchequer, the FO said.
The evacuation operation would not have been possible without the uninterrupted guidance and support of the Prime Minister, and the excellent coordination among all departments concerned, it said.
The FO said that about 3,000 Pakistanis residing in Yemen before the current crisis but in response to various advisories sent by the mission, in the wake of evolving security situation, the community members started leaving Yemen gradually, and only around 1,200 Pakistanis remained in the country when airstrikes started on March 26.
