‘Bohat Shukria’: German envoy thanks Pakistan for help in evacuating citizens from Kabul

ISLAMABAD: Evacuating German citizens and local staff from Afghanistan together with European allies would not be possible without the support of Pakistan, Germany's Ambassador Bernhard Schlagheck wrote on Twitter Monday.

The German envoy penned down a brief appreciation note for Pakistan, praising the Pakistani authorities for their "tremendous cooperation" at the Islamabad airport.

Pakistan Embassy in Kabul is working 24 hours to facilitate the foreign nationals stranded in the war-torn country after the Taliban takeover.

The efforts of Pakistani authorities in helping the diplomats and officials of international organisations have earned praise from the international community.

Last week, Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen had also appreciated Pakistan’s role in facilitating the evacuation during their telephonic conversations with PM Imran Khan. 

Germany had told its citizens in Afghanistan on Saturday to avoid travelling to Kabul airport, citing security risks as thousands of desperate people gathered trying to flee almost a week after the Taliban took control.

The Taliban are trying to hammer out a new government after its forces swept across the country as US-led forces pulled out after two decades, with the Western-backed government and military collapsing.

Crowds have grown at the airport in the heat and dust of the day over the past week, hindering operations as the United States and other nations attempt to evacuate thousands of their diplomats and civilians as well as numerous Afghans. Mothers, fathers and children have pushed up against concrete blast walls in the crush as they seek to get a flight out.

The Taliban have urged those without travel documents to go home. At least 12 people have been killed in and around the single-runway airfield since last Sunday, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, NATO and Taliban officials said.

The German Embassy warned its citizens in an email that Taliban forces were conducting increasingly strict controls in its immediate vicinity.