Pakistan carries out daring solo rescue mission
For anyone waiting to escape the situation in Afghanistan, the nights are long, and the days are even longer. When the government in Kabul, which had been in place for more than two decades, collapsed in less than two weeks, that too without any resistance, panic gripped the Afghan capital, and almost everyone, who could -- simply wanted out from the war-ravaged country.
During this critical time, Pakistan took it upon itself to help those who were stranded on the other side of the 2,670 km long border it shares with
Afghanistan. And given the security and logistical challenges, it hasn't been an easy feat by any measure.
Islamabad's top envoy in Kabul, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, who by diplomatic standards, has the most daunting assignment in the region, confirmed that since the surrender of the Ashraf Ghani administration earlier this month, the Pakistani mission has helped hundreds of Afghan nationals, foreign diplomatic staff, and workers exit Kabul.
"The Pakistani mission has been part of this humanitarian effort since August 15. We have evacuated more than 3,000 people since the collapse of the regime in Kabul through air and land routes," claimed Ambassador Khan, who is frequently seen engaging with people before their flight out of the Afghan capital.
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Describing the airlift as a daring task, the envoy said: "It is an extremely challenging assignment for us to fly people out of Afghanistan -- particularly when you know the technical facilities required for flight operations at the airport have been minimal since the regime collapsed." While the overall situation is calm and under control since the Taliban took over, the ambassador hinted that the unspecified terrorist risks remain imminent.
"The threat of terrorism from groups like ISIS has made the task of shuttling people to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport somewhat challenging over the past two days," he said, adding that the airfield is already surrounded by people hoping to be ferried out of Afghanistan.
Commenting on the use of civilian aircrafts, Senior defense analyst, MajGen (retd) Inamul Haq said: "The use of civilian planes speaks volumes about the special relationship Pakistan has with Afghanistan and its people."
The senior expert who played an important role in the Pakistan Military during the US war in Afghanistan said: "Not many countries will risk or endanger their own people and aircrafts in such situations."Pakistan, General Haq said, has taken on the most important humanitarian mission in the region -- and that too at a very critical time for all of us. Special mission and response
In total, Pakistan International Airline (PIA), the national flag carrier, has shuttled more than 2,100 Afghan nationals, 314 Turks, and 470 people belonging to different countries in Europe.
Last week, on one of its special missions, the national airline ferried 293 members of the World Bank
Group's Kabul-based staff and their immediate families to Islamabad. The special flight also rescued members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team in the Afghan capital.
Shortly after the teams landed safely in Islamabad, the Managing Director of IMF lauded Pakistan for its support. "Pakistan's efforts at the highest levels were absolutely critical to the safe and swift evacuation of IMF staff and their families from Afghanistan. My heartfelt thanks to Imran Khan for Pakistan's exceptional assistance in very difficult circumstances," said IMF's Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, in a public message on Twitter.