–PIA spokesperson says airline trying to accommodate as many people as it can
LAHORE: Pakistanis rushed to the offices of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday, a day after Saudi Arabia announced that iqama holders (residents) from 12 countries, including Pakistan, had 72 hours to return to the kingdom.
In a bid to prevent coronavirus from spreading, Saudi Arabia had announced on Thursday that they were taking some measures, including temporary suspending travel to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, some countries in the European Union (EU) and a few African countries.
“The decision gives a 72-hour period for citizens and those with a valid residency of the citizens of those countries to return to the kingdom before the travel suspension decision becomes effective,” the official Saudi Press Agency said on its website.
Following the announcement, both iqama holders and visa holders rushed to the offices of the national flag carrier in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot and other areas of the country. They complained that the airline was only issuing tickets for two dates – March 16 and March 18 – and was charging double the price for these tickets.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, Zeeshan Anwar, a resident of Bahria Town, Lahore, said, “I had to travel to Dammam by PIA on March 16, but was told today that the flight had been cancelled in the aftermath of the recent notification issued by the Saudi government.”
Anwar, who recently got a job in a Saudi company and received his visa on March 12, said that he had contacted PIA inquiry office for confirmation of his ticket, but was told that eight passengers travelling on a fresh employment visa to the kingdom were asked to return boarding passes by the national flag carrier.
People also protested outside the local PIA office in Sialkot and demanded that the government should take notice of the situation. However, they ended their protest after the airline assured them that they would get their tickets.
When contacted, PIA Spokesperson Abdullah Khan said that the airline was trying to accommodate as many people as it could. “We took immediate action after the Saudi government made the announcement,” he added.
“We added three flights to Saudi Arabia last night and increased the number to six today,” he said, adding that the national flag carrier has also installed additional seating capacity to accommodate more passengers.
