ISLAMABAD – The first special PIA flight carrying stranded Pakistanis from Iran has arrived in Islamabad from Ashgabat.
Through the flight PK-9552, 107 passengers stranded in Iran safely returned to the homeland at 3 AM this morning.
Due to the closure of Iranian airspace, the Pakistani citizens in Iran had traveled by land to the city of Ashgabat in Turkmenistan.
Pakistani embassies in Iran and Turkmenistan played a key role in this entire operation. This special flight of the national airline was dispatched on the instructions of the Government of Pakistan.
Passengers appreciated the timely action of the government and PIA, calling it commendable.
The PIA spokesperson stated that providing services in times of difficulty in the national interest is a continuation of our decades-long tradition.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to provide all possible assistance for the safe return and protection of Pakistani Zaireen in Iran.
A Crisis Management Cell has been established in the Foreign Office on the Prime Minister’s instructions.
Shehbaz Sharif said the Foreign Office and the Pakistani Embassy in Iran should remain on alert until the situation in the region returns to normal.
