Yemen crisis: India accepts Nawaz Sharif's offer of special plane to bring back 11 nationals

NEW DELHI: India tonight accepted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's offer to send by a special plane 11 Indians who were evacuated by a Pakistani Navy ship from strife-torn Yemen to Karachi.

The Indians, who were taken out of Al Mukallah on Saturday by Pakistan Navy's Aslat along with 171 Pakistanis, are now in Karachi and will be flown to New Delhi tomorrow by the special plane following Sharif's gesture.

"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif offers Indian High Commission Islamabad a special aircraft to take 11 Indians (evacuated from Yemen) from Pakistan to India," the Pakistan High Commissioner to India said in New Delhi.

Shortly after Sharif's offer was conveyed by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin announced that India has accepted the offer.

"India accepts Pakistan's offer to fly back from Karachi by special plane 11 Indians evacuated by Pakistani naval ship from Yemen," he said.

It is understood that India's acceptance came after a nod from the political leadership.

According to Pakistan Foreign Office last week, the 11 Indians along with 171 others were evacuated by the PNS Aslat from Yemen's southeastern city of Mokallah, which is now almost entirely under control of al Qaeda militants.

Indian authorities had also evacuated Pakistani nationals from the Yemeni port of Al Hodeidah last week along with citizens of several other countries.