A special flight carrying 70 Pakistani nationals, evacuated from Lebanon, arrived in Karachi on Wednesday.

They were received by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and provincial minister Ikramullah Dharejo.

The Pakistani nationals were repatriated from Lebanon who travelled to Damascus, Syria by road before being airlifted to Pakistan. Four Pakistanis from Syria are also among them, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Israel’s war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack inside Israel, has killed more than 41,900 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas health ministry.

The UN has said the figures are reliable.

The resulting conflict has spilled into Lebanon, with intensifying airstrikes and Israeli troops battling Hezbollah militants on the ground.

Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon has killed more than 1,100 people and displaced upwards of a million in less than two weeks.

On Tuesday, the Federal Cabinet approved the establishment of the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Palestine and Lebanon to help the people affected by Israeli barbarism in Palestine and Lebanon.

The cabinet also issued necessary instructions to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to open an account in this regard. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal will oversee the relief operations for Palestine and Lebanon, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Pakistan issues travel advisory for Lebanon

Last month, Pakistan warned its citizens against travelling to Lebanon amid its ongoing conflict with Israel.

“In view of the recent attacks in Lebanon, Pakistani nationals are strongly advised not to travel to Lebanon until further notice,” the FO said in a statement.

It advised Pakistani nationals residing in Lebanon to travel out on commercial flights which are still available.