ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday became the first international air passenger carrier to send a regular flight to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, said an official statement.
The flight left the Peshawar airport earlier in the day and transported 168 passengers to their destination in the afternoon.
The official statement said PIA decided to launch regular flights to Fujairah on the special request of the ruler of the emirate.
"The royal family of Fujairah and other high-ranking officials welcomed the PIA flight and the airline's chief executive officer Air Marshal Arshad Malik," the statement added. "A traditional celebratory dance was also performed at the airport."
PIA passengers will go through a special 15-minute immigration process in Fujairah.
They will also get special buses that will transport them to other places in the UAE without charging them anything.
PIA becomes first international air carrier to launch regular flights to UAE's Fujairah
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PIA becomes first international air carrier to launch regular flights to UAE's Fujairah
- The first PIA flight transported 168 passengers from Peshawar to the new destination in the UAE
- The airline decided to launch regular flights to Fujairah on the request of the ruler of the emirate
Pakistan rejects Amnesty claims of Israeli spyware use, calls reports ‘disinformation’
- FO denies any link with Israel, says Pakistan has “absolutely no cooperation” on surveillance tools
- Islamabad accuses India of delaying clearance for relief aircraft bound for flood-hit Sri Lanka
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected an Amnesty International report alleging the use of Israeli-made invasive spyware in the country, calling the findings speculative and misleading.
Amnesty’s investigation, published Thursday under the title Intellexa Leaks, cited the case of a Pakistan-based human rights lawyer who reported receiving a suspicious WhatsApp link in 2025. According to Amnesty International’s Security Lab, the link bore signatures consistent with Predator, a spyware product developed by Israeli manufacturer c
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed the suggestion that Islamabad had deployed the tool or maintained any technological cooperation with Israel.
“These are all media speculations. These are all rumor-mongering and disinformation. There is absolutely no cooperation between Pakistan and Israel on anything, let alone a spyware or these kinds of tools. So, I would reject it quite emphatically,” he said at a weekly briefing.
Andrabi also accused India of obstructing humanitarian operations, saying New Delhi delayed flight clearance for a Pakistani relief aircraft carrying aid to flood-affected Sri Lanka.
“The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s relief goods had to wait for 48 hours, in fact more than 48 hours, around 60 hours, while the flight clearance from India was delayed,” he said.
He added that the eventual conditional flight window was too narrow to be workable.
“The partial flight clearance which eventually was given after 48 hours was operationally impractical, time-bound just for a few hours and hence not operable, severely hindering the urgent need for the relief mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka,” Andrabi stated.
“Humanitarian assistance is like justice, if it is delayed, it is denied.”
Responding to India’s claim that clearance was granted within four hours, he said Pakistan has documentary proof contradicting New Delhi’s version.
On a separate question about reported delays in the arrival of a Turkish delegation aimed at mediating between Islamabad and Kabul, Andrabi said Pakistan welcomed Ankara’s initiative but was unaware of the cause of postponement.
“We stand ready to receive the Turkish delegation. That delegation has not arrived as yet. And I’m not aware of any schedule. Pakistan is ready to hold negotiations, discussions,” he said, adding that the delay may be linked to coordination with the Afghan side.
