KARACHI: An Afghanistan-based private airline, which previously operated three weekly flights to Pakistan, has decided to resume its Islamabad operations, said a Pakistani aviation official on Thursday.
Kam Air’s decision comes just a few days after Afghanistan’s aviation ministry wrote a letter to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), saying that the new administration in Kabul wanted to keep a smooth flow of passengers between the two countries.
It added that the two Afghan airlines — Ariana and Kam Air — wanted to commence their scheduled flights to Pakistan under their memoranda of understanding signed with the Pakistani authorities.
“Afghanistan’s Kam Air, which flew three times a week between Kabul and Islamabad, has told us it wants to resume its flights,” a PCAA spokesperson told Arab News.
“We had also received a similar request from Afghanistan’s national flag carrier, Ariana Afghan Airlines, before the Taliban takeover and will grant permission to its management once the PCAA requirements are fulfilled,” he continued.
The Afghan aviation ministry’s letter to Pakistan also maintained the Kabul airport was “damaged” by US forces before last month’s pullout, adding the facility had been made operational with the technical support of “our Qatari brothers.”
Kam Air did not respond to an email request for a comment regarding when it planned to resume its operations.
At present, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is operating chartered flights between the capitals of the two countries and charging $1,300 per passenger.
The one-way fare, which is much higher than what the airlines previously charged, was confirmed by a PIA spokesperson.
PIA officials briefly suspended the special evacuation flights to Kabul on August 25 due to safety concerns since the airport’s technical crew had gone missing after the Taliban captured the Afghan capital on August 15.
The airport largely remained dysfunctional after the pullout of international forces. However, Qatar Airways was the first international airline to land in Kabul last week. This was followed by a PIA chartered flight carrying foreign journalists to Kabul on Monday.
Iran also resumed commercial flights to neighboring Afghanistan on Wednesday. The Iranian civil aviation agency had announced an interruption of flight operation to Afghanistan on August 16, only a day after the fall of Kabul, for security reasons.
Afghanistan’s Kam Air tells Pakistan aviation authority it wants to resume Islamabad flights
https://arab.news/9qvyh
Afghanistan’s Kam Air tells Pakistan aviation authority it wants to resume Islamabad flights
- Afghanistan’s aviation ministry recently told Pakistan the new administration in Kabul wanted smooth flow of passengers between the two countries
- Iran has already resumed its commercial flights to Kabul after briefly suspending them in the wake of the Taliban takeover last month
Pakistani immigration agents express concern over US visa ban
- Trump’s administration is suspending immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries
- The pause will begin on January 21, a State Department spokesperson said this week
Pakistani immigration agents and members of the public expressed concern to US immigration ban on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.
“It is a matter of concern,” said travel and immigration agent, Mohammad Yaseen, in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city.
“All these people who were waiting for a long time for their visas to be issued, they also had an appointment date, their visas would be suspended. They will be affected by this news and this ban,” he added.
A local resident and banker, Amar Ali, said the ban will economically dent Pakistan because many Pakistanis earn and send dollars back home which boosts its economy.
Another local resident, Anwer Farooqui, urged President Trump to reconsider this decision and keep Pakistan, which is a very reliable friend of the United States, at the same level.
The cable, sent to US missions, said there were indications that nationals from these countries had sought public benefits in the United States.
The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact US visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The decision follows a November directive to US diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the US, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.
Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.
