RIYADH — A special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carried 250 stranded Pakistanis Friday to Islamabad. The special flight, Pk702, was operated in coordination with the Embassy of Pakistan here. This was the first repatriation flight from the capital, carrying Pakistanis, since suspension of flight operations in the Kingdom on March 15, 2020. The flight left Riyadh for Islamabad at 1 a.m. local time. Ambassador Raja Ali Ejaz, along with officials of the Embassy, saw off passengers at King Khalid International Airport Riyadh. While speaking to the passengers before departure, the Ambassador reiterated that Pakistan government is taking all possible measures for the welfare, safe and early return of Pakistanis all across the world, including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He thanked the passengers for their patience and cooperation during these difficult times. The returning Pakistanis thanked the prime minister, the foreign minister and special advisor to the prime minister on Overseas Pakistanis for arranging repatriation flights to their homeland. The also expressed their satisfaction over the smooth operation of issuing ticket, as well as efforts of the Embassy for the welfare and well-being of the community members in the wake of COVID-19.
