Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visited injured Pakistani nationals receiving treatment in Abu Dhabi after missile debris linked to the ongoing regional conflict caused casualties among expatriates in the Gulf state. According to a statement posted on X by the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan visited Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City and met Pakistanis injured during recent aerial interception incidents. &ldquo;Shafqat Ali Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE visited Sheikh Shakhbout Hospital and met injured Pakistani nationals receiving treatment. He wished them a speedy recovery, appreciated the hospital administration for their care, and lauded the UAE government&rsquo;s commitment to providing top-tier medical care to all affected residents,&rdquo; the embassy said. The embassy also announced new outreach measures for the Pakistani diaspora in the Emirates as the regional conflict continues to affect civilians across the Gulf. &ldquo;The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi has launched an online registration form for the Pakistani Community residing in the UAE for the sake of Facilitation and outreach,&rdquo; it said in a separate post. The visit comes days after the Dubai Media Office confirmed that a Pakistani driver was killed when debris from an aerial interception struck a vehicle in Dubai&rsquo;s Al Barsha district late Saturday night. The Pakistani mission said its consulate in Dubai was working with local authorities to support the victim&rsquo;s family and arrange repatriation. &ldquo;We are profoundly saddened to confirm that a Pakistani national lost his life yesterday in Dubai&rsquo;s Al Barsha area due to falling debris following the interception of an incoming missile,&rdquo; the embassy said earlier, adding that officials were in direct contact with authorities to facilitate assistance. The death marked the second Pakistani fatality in the United Arab Emirates since the regional war erupted following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which have triggered missile and drone attacks on American bases across parts of the Gulf and heightened risks to civilian areas. UAE authorities earlier confirmed that another Pakistani national, Mureed Zaman from Bannu in Pakistan&rsquo;s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was killed when debris from an intercepted missile fell on a residential area in Abu Dhabi. He had been working in the Emirates for nearly eight years supporting his family back home. The UAE government expressed condolences over the deaths and reiterated that &ldquo;the targeting of civilians and civilian objects is unequivocally condemned and strictly prohibited under international law and humanitarian principles.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

Islamabad’s diplomatic mission says officials are assisting families of victims and injured nationals after missile interception debris incidents in the UAE, while launching a registration initiative to improve outreach and support for the Pakistani community.

Pakistani envoy visits injured nationals in UAE amid Iran war fallout

KYIV: Ukraine and Russia have conducted their first prisoner exchange in months, each releasing at least 157 people, both countries said Thursday, amid US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the war.&nbsp;The two sides have in the past conducted several rounds of prisoner swaps, one of the rare areas of direct cooperation between Ukraine and Russia amid the four-year war, but last month Kyiv accused Moscow of halting the exchanges.&nbsp;On Thursday, amid three-way talks in <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ukraine-delegation-arrives-in-uae-for-russia-talks" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Abu Dhabi</a>, the countries swapped 157 captured soldiers and civilians each in an exchange mediated by Washington -- the first since October.&nbsp;&quot;Today&#39;s exchange came after a long pause, and it is critical that we were able to make it happen. I thank everyone who works to make these exchanges possible,&quot; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.&nbsp;Images he posted showed the released prisoners, their heads freshly shaven, wrapped in Ukrainian flags and smiling amid falling snow.&nbsp;Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said among the 157 Ukrainians released &quot;are seven civilians and those whom the Russians unlawfully convicted.&quot;&nbsp;Zelensky&#39;s aide Kyrylo Budanov said that in the group of the freed prisoners were 19 Ukrainians &quot;who were illegally sentenced, 15 of them to life imprisonment.&quot;&nbsp;Russia, who said the United States and United Arab Emirates acted as mediators for the exchange, announced earlier it had handed over 157 Ukrainian soldiers and that 157 Russian servicemen were returned.&nbsp;&quot;In addition, three Russian citizens, residents of the Kursk region... &nbsp;will be returned home,&quot; the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into Russia&#39;s western Kursk region in 2024.

Europe

Ukraine and Russia carried out their first prisoner exchange in months, releasing 157 people each during US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi. The swap included soldiers and civilians and was welcomed by President Zelensky on Thursday.

Articles tagged with "abu dhabi"

Pakistani envoy visits injured nationals in UAE amid Iran war fallout

Ukraine, Russia exchange POWs for first time in months