ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Sunday withdrew an earlier notification, announcing the resumption of international flight operations, after the Sindh government expressed reservation over the decision, saying it is “too early” to do so.
According to a notification issued yesterday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had announced the resumption of international flight operations at Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Quetta and Peshawar airports from April 5. The operations were temporarily suspended on Mar 21 in a bid to contain the potential spread of coronavirus in the country.
However, reacting to the decision, Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said the provinces should have been taken on board regarding the issue as they are struggling to contain the epidemic.
“No way, it’s too early to decide on this. Such a decision needs to made by the consent of provincial governments as each province is struggling very hard to contain the spread of #COVID_19. We can’t afford any risk at this point,” Shah had tweeted late Saturday night.
Yesterday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Moeed Yusuf gave a briefing on the situation at airports and borders and had said that all international airspace will remain closed till April 4.
Beginning March 29, a ban on all outgoing flights will become effective till April 4, the prime minister’s aide on national security Yusuf had said.
“The eastern and western borders will also remain closed for two weeks,” he said.
Dr Yusuf had said that depending on a ‘case to case basis’, if any country requests a flight to take back its citizens, then it will be discussed.
