RAWALPINDI: A special flight operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), carrying 235 Pakistanis from Poland is expected to land at Islamabad International Airport on Wednesday (today).

More flights have been planned for the coming days as 1,200 passengers are to be repatriated.

The Boeing 777 departed from Lahore early morning on Tuesday, on the advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bring back the 232 passengers from Warsaw, Poland.

A spokesman for PIA said that it was the first flight operated for repatriation of Pakistanis in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Flight carrying 235 Pakistanis from Poland arrives today

He added that flights are planned in consultation with Pakistan’s embassies in Poland, Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, air operations to and through the country have been suspended. The spokesman said PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik, at the start of the war, reached out to Pakistan’s ambassador in Ukraine and offered PIA planes to evaluate the possibility of repatriation of Pakistani nationals back to the country.

Thousands of Pakistani citizens were advised by the Pakistan embassy in Ukraine to gather in the city of Ternopil. From there, the embassy coordinated the border crossing into neighboring Poland, from where they were to be picked up by PIA planes, said the spokesman.

However, bordering airports in Poland did not have the requisite infrastructure to accommodate the large PIA aircraft, hence the citizens were redirected to Warsaw, from where they have been repatriated.

Special humanitarian permission was sought by PIA to operate these flights and repatriate stranded Pakistanis back to safety.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2022