Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that 20 Iranian and 11 Pakistani nationals aboard ships seized by the US have been successfully released and are being repatriated.

In a statement released on the social networking website X, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, “Alhamdulillah, I am happy to inform you that we have succeeded in repatriating 11 Pakistanis and 20 citizens of our brotherly country Iran through Singapore who were on board ships seized by the US in the deep sea.”

He said that all the people are well and their morale is high, the welfare of Pakistanis living abroad, especially those facing difficulties, is the top priority of our government.

Regarding the citizens released from US custody, Ishaq Dar said that all the people have reached Bangkok from Singapore and have boarded the flight to Islamabad tonight, later our Iranian brothers will be facilitated to return home.

He said that he is very grateful to Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Bala, the Prime Minister of Singapore and the Government of Singapore who have continuously cooperated and coordinated throughout this process at my request.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that I also thank Iranian Foreign Minister Baradar Abbas Araqchi who trusted Pakistan for the return of his Iranian brothers.

Thanking US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he said that the US government and Rubio worked closely to ensure the safe return of 31 Pakistani and Iranian citizens and also thanked the government of Thailand and Deputy Prime Minister Sihasek Phuengketkyu for facilitating the transit of these individuals through Bangkok at our request.

Ishaq Dar said that I deeply thank my colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in Singapore and Thailand who, through timely coordination and tireless work, made the repatriation of our citizens safe, possible and successful.