Saudi Arabia Permits PIA To Bring Back Umrah Pilgrims

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Saudi Arabia Permits PIA To Bring Back Umrah
Pilgrims
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PIA Pakistan International Airlines

• The aviation authority of Saudi Arabia has
  allowed the PIA Pakistan International
  Airlines to operate special flight in order to
  bring the stranded Pakistanis back in the
  country. Since hundreds of Pakistanis are stuck
  in Mecca and Medina due to the suspension of
  flights, it is extremely crucial to bring them
  back.

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• It is believed that the Saudi Authorities have
  permitted the PIA to pick the passengers from the
  kingdom on the personal efforts of the Air
  Marshal Arshad Malik, the incumbent CEO of PIA.

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• Earlier, Saudi Arabia had imposed a ban on all
  the flights operating to and from the kingdom as
  the coronavirus was spreading like wildfire. It
  asked its residents living in other countries to
  return to the kingdom in 72 hours. Similarly, it
  also ordered all the foreigners living in the
  kingdom to vacate the country in 72 hours, i.e.
  till 14 March, because no flights would operate
  after 72-hour time period.

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Goodwill Gesture By Saudi Arabia

• However, it now seems that Saudi Arabia has shown
  some flexibility as it has allowed PIA to run
  special flights for stranded Pakistanis in the
  kingdom till 18 March. The CEO of PIA Air Marshal
  Arshad Malik had personally asked the General
  Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to permit PIA
  for resuming the flight operations as hundreds of
  Pakistani citizens were stranded there.

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• Here, it is worth noting that this generosity has
  been extended only for Pakistan and the flights
  of all the other countries can still not operate
  to Saudi Arabia.
• Following the permission, the empty planes of PIA
  will land at Medina and Jeddah Airports.
  Subsequently, these flights will repatriate the
  stranded Umrah pilgrims to Lahore, Karachi, and
  Islamabad. It is also believed that the PIA
  flights will also bring back over 1,800 Pakistani
  nationals from the kingdom.

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The Remarks Of Passengers

• Previously, the national flag carrier of Pakistan
  had operated about 22 flights to transport more
  than 6,000 nationals after the announcement of
  the 72-hour deadline. Similarly, on March 13, the
  stranded Pakistani pilgrims asked the government
  to assist them in the repatriation as they were
  stuck in Saudi Arabia amid coronavirus fears.

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• The pilgrims also told the media that neither
  they had money to buy the tickets of other
  airlines nor they could afford to pay the rent of
  the hotels. They also lamented that despite the
  announcement of 72-hour deadline, the government
  made no special arrangements for the stranded
  nationals.
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• Saudi Arabia Permits PIA To Bring Back Umrah
  Pilgrims