Pakistanis stranded in Iran return Home via special flight

ISLAMABAD: A special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight has brought back Pakistani nationals who were stranded in Iran due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

According to aviation sources, 150 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Islamabad aboard the special flight, which departed from Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.

The special operation was carried out following a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, prompting the national flag carrier to dispatch an Airbus aircraft from Peshawar to Ashgabat to facilitate the repatriation.

Due to the closure of the Iranian airspace, the pilgrims were evacuated from Iran by road to the capital Ashgabat, where the PIA plane was already present.

More than 150 visitors arrived in Islamabad overnight on National Air flight PK 9552. The families of Pakistani diplomatic staff were also brought to Islamabad on the flight.