ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Dr Noel Israel Khokhar said that there were 1,500 Pakistani including 500 students in Ukraine and the government was working for their safe evacuation or relocation from the war-affected areas.
The ambassador said that the embassy was in contact with Pakistani and they had been advised to leave Ukraine or relocate to safe regions. Pakistan’s Embassy in Ukraine announced in a tweet that Ukraine’s airspace was closed while the Embassy was communicating with Pakistani students who were unable to leave earlier than advised.
The Pakistani ambassador said that Pakistani nationals have been directed to reach Tarnopal city from where arrangements will be made for their evacuation. The Pakistani embassy said in a message on social networking site Twitter that those present should move to Trincomalee from where their possible departure would be arranged.
“The embassy in Ukraine is fully functional from Ternopil,” added the tweet. The embassy can be reached at parepkyiv@gmail.com, while the following are the mobile numbers the embassy can be contacted on +380636965523, +380636968264, +380638282984, and +380664944004.
After the Russian invasion, the Pakistani Ambassador in Ukraine Nool Israel Khokhar advised Pakistani students in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible.
The ambassador held a virtual meeting with 40 Pakistani students and advised them to leave Ukraine immediately. However, he offered the full support of the embassy to those students who are not able to leave the country because of any compulsion.
Meanwhile, the embassy has written a letter to the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, requesting an online education facility for Pakistani students until the situation comes to normal. Pakistani students have expressed their fear regarding the destruction of their educational future due to the situation created after the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Ukraine has closed its airspace to civilian flights because of a “high risk” to safety, hours after a conflict zone monitor warned airlines should stop overflights over the risk of an unintended shootdown or cyber attack.
Russia has closed some airspace in the Rostov flight information region to the east of its border with Ukraine “in order to provide safety” for civil aviation flights, according to a notice to airmen.
