ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan International Airlines flight carrying 320 Pakistani prisoners arrived in Islamabad from Malaysia on Wednesday night, state media said on Thursday, just two days after Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the national carrier to ferry back the inmates in time to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr at home with their loved ones.
Pakistan on Tuesday said it had designated a special aircraft to bring home its nationals languishing in various jails across Malaysia.
Radio Pakistan reported that the former inmates were received at Islamabad International Airport by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, on Wednesday night.
After welcoming the Pakistanis, Bukhari said more prisoners would be released and returning home from various countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in the coming days.
Videos circulating on social media showed the ex-inmates inside the PIA carrier, chanting slogans of “Pakistan Zindabaad,” or long live Pakistan, before the plane landed.
The prisoners at Malaysian jails would have arrived home sooner had it not been for Pakistan closing its airspace in February after a suicide attack by a Pakistan-based militant group in Indian-controlled Kashmir led to aerial bombing missions on each other’s soil and a fighter dogfight over Kashmir.
Foreign carriers using Indian airspace have been since forced to take costly detours because they cannot fly over Pakistan. The closure mainly affects flights from Europe to Southeast Asia.
Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor and the airspace restrictions impact hundreds of commercial and cargo flights each day, adding flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines.
“There are more than 320 Pakistani nationals in Malaysian jails who have completed their sentence and were unable to be repatriated, as direct flights got suspended in the last week of February 2019, owing to the regional situation,” the Pakistan government said in a statement this week, adding that a majority of the nationals had been imprisoned “due to expiry of visa or residence permits.”
Over 300 Pakistanis jailed in Malaysia arrive home in time for Eid
Over 300 Pakistanis jailed in Malaysia arrive home in time for Eid
- Repatriated prisoners received at Islamabad airport on Wednesday night by PM’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis
- Would have reached sooner had it not been for the closure of parts of Pakistan’s airspace since February
Pakistan police say two militants killed during gunbattle in northwest
- Police say Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants ambushed police vehicle on patrol in northwestern Bannu district
- Pakistan has frequently blamed neighboring Afghanistan for facilitating what it calls “cross-border attacks” against it
ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s Bannu district said on Monday it thwarted an ambush and killed two militants during a fierce gunbattle, as Islamabad grapples with a surge in militant attacks in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
A police vehicle came under attack from militants affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban group within the jurisdiction of the Domel Police Station in Bannu, a statement from police said.
The police van was on patrol when TTP militants, who were lying in wait near the district’s Company Road, suddenly opened indiscriminate firing on the police party. Following the attack, both sides traded fire for approximately 20 minutes.
“During the exchange of fire, two militants were killed and weapons were recovered from their possession,” the statement said.
Police launched a search operation in the area after the gunfire ended, during which the bodies of the two militants were recovered. The bodies were shifted to the Khaleefa Gul Nawaz (KGN) Hospital in the area for legal formalities.
Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan praised police for its unwavering commitment in saving people’s lives and for “standing firm against terrorism at all costs.”
“He said operations against elements of Fitna Al-Khawarij will continue under a zero-tolerance policy and those attempting to disrupt peace and order will not be spared under any circumstances,” the police statement said.
Pakistan’s government and army frequently use the term “Fitna Al-Khawarij” to describe TTP militants. The term is drawn from Islamic history for an extremist sect that rebelled against authority and declared other Muslims apostates.
The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against law enforcement agencies since 2008 in a bid to impose its strict version of Islamic law across Pakistan.
Bannu has also seen several militant attacks in the recent past, with four members of a pro-government peace committee killed by militants in the district earlier this month. In 2025, Bannu police said it recorded 134 attacks on police stations, checkpoints and those targeting its personnel. At least 27 police officers were killed, while authorities say 53 militants died in the clashes.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused neighboring Afghanistan of allowing its soil to be used by armed groups such as the TTP for “cross-border attacks.” It has also alleged that India supports militant groups carrying out attacks against Pakistan. Both Kabul and New Delhi have denied these claims.
