Operation Ganga: Pakistani national thanks PM Modi, Indian Embassy for evacuation from Ukraine
While Indian nationals are being evacuated from war-torn Ukraine, the authorities overseeing Operation Ganga are also assisting foreigners in leaving the country. Asma Shafique, a Pakistani national, thanked the Indian Embassy in Ukraine and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the evacuation. Asma is now en route to Western Ukraine for further evacuation out of the country. She will be reunited with her family soon, said the sources. The video of Asma has been going viral on the internet in which she could be seen saying, “Hello, my name is Asma Shafique, and I am from Pakistan. I am very thankful to the Indian Embassy of Kyiv for supporting us all the way here as we were stuck in a very difficult situation and also thanking the Prime Minister of India. Thank you so much for supporting us. I hope we will get home safely because of the Indian Embassy.” It's not the first time India has evacuated a foreign national. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India had already evacuated one Bangladeshi national and later notified that one Nepali citizen would be arriving on an Indian flight as part of Operation Ganga. According to The Kathmandu Post, Roshan Jha, the first Nepali national to be evacuated from Ukraine by Indian officials, expressed his gratitude to the Indian government for their assistance. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine war: PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks suspends sales in Russia The Indian embassy in Kathmandu later announced that the Indian government was evacuating seven more Nepalis from Poland. On February 28, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, stating that Indian authorities will assist people stranded in Ukraine from neighbouring and developing countries. “Guided by India’s motto of the world being one family, Prime Minister also stated that India will help people from neighbouring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance," the statement read. Meanwhile, the MEA announced on Tuesday that all Indian students in Ukraine's Sumy had been evacuated. So far, over 18 thousand Indian citizens have been brought back by special flights as part of 'Operation Ganga,' which aims to rescue Indian citizens from Ukraine's neighbouring countries. According to a press release from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 410 Indians were brought back on Tuesday by two special civilian flights from Suceava from Ukraine's neighbouring nations. Also Read | Ban on Russian oil; Ukraine's new NATO stand | Russia-Ukraine War Day 14 Live Updates -PTC News