- Foreign Office asks Pakistanis in Syria to contact CMU.
- Ministry provides contact details for facilitation.
- Rebels claim control of Syrian capital as Assad flees.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has activated its Crisis Management Unit (CMU) to assist Pakistanis in Syria amid the ongoing law and order issues and the evolving crisis in the war-wrecked country.
The Syrian army command this morning notified its officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended following a lightning rebel offensive, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.
Keeping in view the situation, the Foreign Office (FO) has asked the Pakistani nationals in Syria and their families to contact the CMU at the following telephone number/email: 051-9207887/ [email protected].
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Embassy in Damascus remains actively engaged to facilitate Pakistani nationals in Syria, a press release issued by the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday.
Embassy of Pakistan, Damascus can be reached at:
Mobile phone/WhatsApp: +963 987 127 822; +963 990 138 972 and email: [email protected].
Assad flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.
Thousands in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom”, witnesses said.
“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” said the rebels.
The head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad Hadi al-Bahra Syrian on Sunday also declared that Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad”.
Viewing the deteriorating law and order situation in Syria, the FO on December 6 had advised the Pakistani nationals against travelling to the violence-hit country.
In a statement, the FO said: “Pakistan nationals are advised to avoid unnecessary travel or visit to Syria until the situation improves.”
Those currently in Syria are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain in contact with the Embassy of Pakistan in Damascus, read the statement.
