A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, originally bound for Islamabad from Saudi Arabia and carrying Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and a high-level delegation, was diverted to Lahore airport, causing inconvenience to other passengers on Wednesday.
The PIA flight, PK842, which was scheduled to land in Islamabad at 10:30 pm on Monday, was redirected to Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and arrived at 9:25 pm. The Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, and other VIPs disembarked at Lahore, leading to frustration among the hundreds of other passengers who were bound for Islamabad.
Despite some passengers being offloaded, the flight eventually departed for Islamabad and landed at Islamabad International Airport at 11:17 pm instead of the original scheduled time. This incident occurred during Prime Minister Sharif’s official visit to Saudi Arabia, his first foreign trip since taking office.
Official sources revealed that the commercial flight from Jeddah to Islamabad was carrying a total of 393 passengers, including the official Pakistani delegation returning from Saudi Arabia. This delegation comprised Prime Minister Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Nawaz, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and others, accompanied by their family members.
People’s Reaction
Social media platforms were inundated with videos depicting passengers expressing their frustration at the turn of events. Despite their evident displeasure, passengers had no choice but to wait until the VIPs disembarked before the flight could proceed to Islamabad.
Following the offloading of approximately 79 passengers in Lahore, the flight eventually resumed its journey to Islamabad. However, the delay resulted in the flight arriving at Islamabad International Airport at 11:17 pm, almost an hour behind schedule.
PIA Spokesperson’s Response
In response to inquiries regarding preferential treatment, the PIA spokesperson affirmed, “VIPs were treated on par with commercial passengers.”
When questioned about the incident and whether preferential treatment was given to the VIP passengers, the spokesperson for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) maintained that all passengers, including VIPs, were treated equally and as per standard protocols.
