KARACHI – Pakistan national flag carrier has started direct flights to the Mashhad after a five-year hiatus to boost religious tourism with Iran.
Reports in local media said the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed flight operations for the Western Asian country as the first PIA flight PK-119 has departed for Mashhad with 165 passengers on board.
The spokesperson of national flag carrier Abdullah Khan said the first flight departed from Punjab capital Lahore to Mashhad, a city in northeast Iran known as a place of religious pilgrimage, on Wednesday night, while direct flights from Karachi to Mashhad will begin on Saturday.
PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arshad Malik said that the move will provide direct and easy travel facilities to the people willing to travel to Iran from Pakistan. The airline will remain at the forefront to ensure pilgrims can visit the Holy places in Iran with ease.
Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Ali Hosseini shared a tweet about the development saying that the two countries have agreed to promote cooperation in tourism.
Earlier in August, Pakistan International Airlines has run special flights to Iraq on Ashura. The special flights will take off for Najaf from Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi from August 11 to facilitate pilgrims who travel to Iraq during Muharram.
