KARACHI: A second batch of around 300 Pakistani pilgrims, who were stranded in Baghdad due to unavailability of Iraq Airways flights, returned to the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Saturday evening, authorities said, hours after a group of over 350 pilgrims returned home.
Most of these stranded Pakistanis had traveled to Iraq to participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which marks the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who, along with most of his family, was martyred in Karbala in 680 CE.
Of these pilgrims, 358 reached the southern port city of Karachi Saturday morning via Iraq Airways flight IA-2431, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry. Another flight, IA-1431, left Baghdad for Karachi on Saturday afternoon, with over 300 passengers.
“Flight carrying pilgrims from Iraq to Karachi landed at 5:20pm, with 306 passengers on board,” Saif Ullah, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), told Arab News.
On Friday, Pakistan’s foreign office said 654 Pakistanis were stranded at the Baghdad airport because of technical fault with two aircraft of Iraq Airways.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Aviation and Pakistan’s Embassy in Iraq are in contact with Iraqi authorities and Iraq Airways for early repatriation of the stranded Pakistanis,” it said in a statement.
In a separate statement, Pakistan’s Ambassador Muhammad Zeeshan Ahmed denied media reports that over 50 Pakistani nationals had lost their passports due to the mishandling of the immigration authorities.
“The news about missing passports is incorrect,” he was quoted in the statement circulated by the religious affairs ministry. “The entire situation arose due to the mismanagement of the tourism companies.”
Another batch of around 300 Pakistani pilgrims stranded in Baghdad returns home
https://arab.news/wwnxv
Another batch of around 300 Pakistani pilgrims stranded in Baghdad returns home
- Nearly 650 Pakistanis who traveled to Iraq to visit religious shrines were stranded due to unavailability of flights
- Pakistani authorities say the embassy provided them meals and made arrangements for their temporary stay in Baghdad
Met Office forecasts ‘widespread’ rain, snowfall in parts of Pakistan
- Heavy snowfall may cause road closures, while there is a possibility of landslides and avalanche in hilly areas
- Tourists are advised to remain extra cautious, avoid unnecessary travel during forecast period, Met Office says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast “widespread” rain and snowfall in northern parts of the country in the coming days, saying that a shallow westerly wave was likely to reach the upper regions on Friday.
The weather system is likely to strengthen from Jan. 20 and grip most parts of the country from Jan. 21, bringing rain, thunderstorm and snowfall to several areas, according to a PMD advisory. Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree and Galliyat will experience rain/thunderstorm with light to moderate snowfalls Jan. 16 till Jan. 20, with occasional gaps.
Widespread rain/thunderstorm is expected in these areas along with Islamabad, and Punjab’s Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sahiwal, Multan, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur divisions, as well as KP’s Peshawar, Hazara, Malakand, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan districts on Jan. 20-23.
“Heavy snowfall is expected [in] Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Murree, Galliyat, Neelum Valley, Bagh, Haveli, Rawalakot from 20th (night) to 23rd January with occasional gaps,” the PMD said.
Similarly, rain/thunderstorm is expected in Balochistan’s Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Nushki, Harnai, Zhob, Kalat, Barkhan, Sibi, Loralai, Musakhel, Turbat, Gawadar, Jiwani, Lasbella, Kech, Awaran, Chaghi, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Washuk and Kharan districts on Jan. 21-22.
Karachi, Hyderabad, Dadu, Jacobabad, Naushero Feroz, Kashmore, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirbad, Mirpurkhas and Ghotki in Sindh are likely to receive rain with occasional gaps on Jan. 22-23.
“Moderate to heavy snowfall in (Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Noushki, Harnai, Zhob) during the period,” the PMD said.
Heavy snowfall may cause road closures and slippery conditions in Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Chitral, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Poonch, Haveli, Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Nushki, Harnai and Zhob, according to the PMD.
There is a possibility of landslides and avalanche in hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during this period.
“Tourists are advised to remain extra cautious and avoid unnecessary traveling during the forecast period,” it said.
“Fog condition is likely to diminish in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh during the wet spell. Day time temperatures are likely to drop significantly during the period.”
