Special flight brings VIPs back to Pakistan from London, 400 citizens remain stranded in UK

UNNATI SHARMA 

After the VIPs were accommodated in the special flight, the remaining seats were kept empty to maintain social distancing, says a Geo News report.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight has brought back nearly 150 ‘dignitaries’, including three family members of a Pakistani minister, from London to Islamabad even as 400 other citizens still remain stranded in the UK with no means to come home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a Geo News report, the special PIA flight was arranged on 9 April to bring back the stranded VIP members. After the VIPs were accommodated in the aircraft, says the report, the remaining seats were kept empty to maintain social distancing.

“All the plugs were pulled out and special arrangements were made for that flight to take passengers from the Heathrow Airport in London to Islamabad Airport in Pakistan because family members of a minister and some other dignitaries wanted to leave London on an urgent basis,” Geo News reported, quoting sources.

The national carrier has since not flown back with any other passenger stranded in the UK. But there have been many ferry flights to Pakistan from London after 9 April to bring back people who are allegedly well-connected.

A spokesman of the Pakistan High Commission confirmed that it had passed lists of stranded passengers to the PIA and only those names were added who were recommended by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the PIA head office.

Short-term travellers, vulnerable people stranded

Pakistan had closed its airspace on 21 March due to increasing threat of the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s civil aviation authorities planned to close the airspace till 4 April but flight operations have remain terminated since.

According to the report quoted above, many Pakistanis stranded in Britain were short-term travellers, including elderly and the sick, whose flights got cancelled due to airspace closure.

The Pakistani government has been criticised for flying empty planes back to the country when one single aircraft could have been enough to accommodate all stranded citizens.