First international flight from Skardu departs for Dubai with 160 passengers
First international flight from Skardu departs for Dubai with 160 passengers/node/2359541/pakistan
First international flight from Skardu departs for Dubai with 160 passengers
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane is parked at Skardu International Airport in Skardu, Pakistan, on August 14, 2023, after its first international flight from Dubai. (Photo courtesy: PIA/File)
ISLAMABAD: The first international flight to depart from Pakistan’s northern Skardu city left for Dubai on Tuesday with 160 passengers, the country’s flag carrier confirmed in a statement.
The development takes place eight days after the first direct international flight from Dubai to Skardu landed in the northern city on August 14. Direct flights between the two cities would make Pakistan’s northern mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, where Skardu is located, more accessible to foreign travelers.
The Skardu International Airport was inaugurated in December 2021.
“The first international flight has departed from Skardu Airport for Dubai,” a statement from Pakistan’s flag carrier, the PIA, read. “Flight PK-211 left for Dubai with 160 passengers.”
The PIA spokesperson said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) staff at the airport handled passengers’ immigration process. It added that the passengers were satisfied with the arrangements.
Skardu is a beautiful valley, 7,000 feet above sea level, and surrounded by snow-capped mountains, pristine lakes, and lush green valleys. The region is home to a variety of wildlife, including snow leopards, ibex, and markhor.
The valley is frequented each year by hundreds of domestic tourists each year.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (second right) meets the Qatari Emir Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (left) in Doha, Qatar, on February 24, 2026. (PID)
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
