Zubair Qureshi
Embassy of France on Sunday after days’ efforts and hectic coordination with the Pakistani officials saw off over 300 passengers to Paris.
The passengers were either French nationals of Pakistan origin, citizens of France or those belonging to other member state of the European Union (EU).
Ambassador of France Dr Marc Barety along with senior officials of the embassy personally supervised the entire operation and was present at the Islamabad International airport to see off them. A PIA flight PK-8749 left with the passengers at around 11 A.M.
In a post, the French embassy expressed its gratitude to the Pakistan national flag carrier and the government for making it possible. The embassy also paid compliments to its staff who despite not being part of the consular section offered their services even on off days for making arrangements for the secure departure of the stranded French nationals from Pakistan.
German ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck in a tweet also thanked the embassies of France and Denmark for offering seats to the stranded German nationals on flights to Copenhagen and Paris.
“We shall keep Germans in Pakistan posted about further return options,” further said the German ambassador.
A day earlier on Saturday, around 300 Norwegian nationals also left for Oslo. Ambassador of Norway Kjell-Gunnar Eriksen in his post thanked the Scandinavian Airlines SAS for operating a special flight for the stranded Norwegians from Islamabad to Oslo.