ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national air career said on Friday it would operate special flights to the Gulf region to bring back stranded Pakistanis who could not return to their country after the cancellation of flights by certain international airlines.
According to an official handout circulated by Pakistan International Airlines, the decision was taken on the instruction of the country’s aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan who asked PIA officials to repatriate Pakistani nationals before the upcoming Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.
The statement specifically mentioned flight arrangements to Qatar and Bahrain, saying the airlines would use Boeing 777 instead of Airbus aircrafts since the former could accommodate greater number of passengers.
PIA's top official Arshad Malik said the country would arrange as many special flights as required to bring back Pakistani nationals.
“The nation will always see PIA ahead of everyone while fulfilling its obligations toward the country,” he said. “Unlike international airlines, we cannot leave our fellow nationals helpless in a foreign land.”
The country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also took serious notice of the decision taken by several Middle Eastern airlines to cancel their flights in recent weeks, “causing inconvenience to passengers” who wanted to come to Pakistan.
“It has been noticed with great concern that huge numbers of passengers were issued confirmed tickets that have been affected by flight cancellations causing unrest and inconvenience,” the CAA said in a statement. “It is worth stressing that such reservations should have been made after confirmation of lifting of [COVID-19] restrictions only.”
The statement added that “a substantial number of the affected passengers have been facing great nuisance and financial losses” due to these flight cancellations.
The CAA said it had directed relevant international airlines to provide hotel accommodation to passengers with confirmed bookings to compensate them for their financial losses.
PIA to repatriate stranded Pakistanis by operating special flights to Gulf countries
https://arab.news/j4eu4
PIA to repatriate stranded Pakistanis by operating special flights to Gulf countries
- The decision has been taken after some international airlines cancelled their flights, causing significant trouble to travelers
- Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority has asked all relevant airlines to provide hotel accommodation to passengers with confirmed bookings
Pakistan finance chief calls for stronger emerging market voice during Saudi conference
- Aurangzeb tells Saudi state media developing economies must assume larger global role
- Minister says AlUla conference can strengthen coordination among emerging economies
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday called for developing economies to play a greater role in shaping global economic governance in an interview on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in Saudi Arabia.
The conference, hosted by the Kingdom’s Finance Ministry, brings together top government functionaries, central bank governors and policymakers from emerging markets to discuss debt sustainability, macroeconomic coordination and structural reforms amid global economic uncertainty.
In a conversation with the Saudi Press Agency, Aurangzeb described the conference as a timely platform for dialogue at a moment of heightened geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation and rapid technological change, including advances in artificial intelligence.
“It is not merely about discussions but about translating deliberations into concrete policy actions and execution over the course of the year,” he said, according to a statement circulated by the Finance Division in Islamabad.
The minister said emerging markets’ growing share of global output and growth should be matched by greater influence in international decision-making.
He noted these economies must strengthen collective dialogue and coordinated policy responses to address shared challenges, adding that the global landscape had evolved significantly since the inaugural edition of the conference.
Aurangzeb expressed confidence that the outcomes of the AlUla Conference would contribute to strengthening coordination among emerging economies and reinforcing their collective voice in shaping a more inclusive and resilient global economic order, the statement added.
