170 stranded Pakistanis from Turkey, Tashkent will return through PIA

Pakistan International Airline (PIA) planes are positioned on the tarmac at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad on October 10, 2012. PIA have planed to reopen its flights for Swat valley which was shut down in 2007 due to the security situation. AFP PHOTO/Farooq NAEEM

ISLAMABAD: 170 stranded Pakistan will be brought back from Turkey and Tashkent by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), through its special flights, PK-781 and PK-789, the national flag carrier announced on Friday.

On April 2, two special flights had left for Toronto on the request of the Canadian government.

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According to the PIA spokesperson, the flights will leave Toronto for Turkey and will land at the Istanbul airport to bring back 170 Pakistani nationals stranded there.

The passengers will be screened and shifted into quarantine if the need arises, he added.

Pakistan has suspended flight operations in a bid to control the coronavirus spread. The flights were expected to resume from April 4, however, the date was extended to April 11. Domestic flights have also been suspended to prevent spreading the virus between provinces. Only special and cargo flights have been exempted from the order.

With input from INP

Read more: Deaths by COVID-19 surges to 35, figure infections jumps to 2,441

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