Pakistan plane brings back over 500 stranded citizens from Yemen

KARACHI: A Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 502 passengers from strife-torn Yemen arrived in Karachi, ending days of agonising wait for families.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had ordered authorities to evacuate over 3,000 Pakistanis stranded in Yemen after security situation worsened in the Gulf country.

The first Boeing 747 jumbo aircraft was dispatched yesterday which landed in Hudaidah city of Yemen, where about 600 Pakistanis were brought through road from capital Sana'a.

An official of Civil Aviation Authority told PTI that 502 passengers landed in Karachi. Later around 326 people, who had arrived from Yemen, reached Islamabad in a subsequent flight which landed at the Benazir International Airport early today.

Minister of Information Pervez Rashid, PM's Advisor on Aviation Shujaat Azeem, accompanied by Tariq Fazl Chaudhary welcomed the passengers at the airport with flowers.

Local media reported passengers saying that Yemen has descended into chaos as there was no central authority.

At Hudaidah airport, there was no electricity and the documents were manually checked.

Another flight is expected to bring more than 250 stranded persons by tonight or by tomorrow.

In Yemen, Shiite militiamen, also known as Huthis, and army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have overrun much of the country and prompted President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee for Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition of some 10 countries began bombing Yemen on Thursday, saying it was targeting the Houthis and their allies.