Pilgrims from Pakistan who are stuck in Syria enter Lebanon.

BEIRUT: About 245 pilgrims and 350 other Pakistani nationals who were stuck in Syria have crossed the border into Lebanon.

Hundreds of pilgrims from Pakistan remain stranded in Syria as a result of the catastrophe brought on by Bashar al-Assad’s defeat.

The Pakistani Embassy in Damascus supported the return procedure at the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the Foreign Office stated in a statement.

While Deputy Head of Mission in Beirut, Nawab Adil met fellow compatriots in Lebanon; Deputy Head of Mission in Syria, Umar Hayat, escorted the Pakistani nationals to the border.

In a Monday message to his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked for prompt assistance in evacuating Pakistani citizens who were stuck in Syria.

PM Mikati was personally approached by PM Shehbaz, who asked for his assistance in ensuring the safe return of Pakistani citizens who were stuck in Syria via Beirut.

Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati promised Prime Minister Shehbaz that Lebanon would help these stranded people any way it could and make it easier for them to get home safely.

In order to guarantee the safe return of the trapped Pakistanis in Syria, the prime minister then addressed Pakistan’s ambassadors in Syria and Lebanon, instructing them to offer all assistance and collaboration.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesman for the Foreign Office, advised Pakistani nationals in Syria to be cautious given the changing circumstances in the area earlier on December 8.

The spokesperson confirmed that Pakistan is keeping a careful eye on events in Syria in an official statement. She underlined that Pakistan’s fundamental position has not changed and reaffirmed its unflinching support for Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Those Pakistanis who are currently in Syria are safe, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch promised. Pakistan’s embassy in Syria is fully functional and ready to offer nationals support and direction when required, she said.