PIA Karachi–Islamabad flight delayed; PPP leaders, GB governor among passengers

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Karachi to Islamabad, carrying several prominent political figures, was delayed on Saturday due to a reported technical fault in the aircraft’s cooling system, ARY News reported.

According to reports, Flight PK-308 was scheduled to depart Karachi at 4:00 PM for Islamabad but remained grounded for hours, causing frustration among passengers that included Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Mehdi Shah, former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and several senators and members of the National Assembly.

According to party sources, senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan were also on board. Among them were Nayyar Bukhari, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha, and others.

Passengers were reportedly made to sit inside the aircraft for nearly two hours before being asked to return to the airport’s waiting area.

PPP leaders expressed strong resentment over the prolonged delay, saying that the flight crew cited a malfunction in the cooling system as the cause.

Airline officials said maintenance teams were working to fix the issue, and the flight would depart once technical clearance was received.

Also Read: PIA privatization likely to enter final phase next month

In other news, the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is expected to reach its final stage early next month.

Sources revealed that Arif Habib Limited, Fauji Fertilizer Company, Airblue, and Lucky Group are among the four contenders interested in acquiring a stake in the national carrier.

The interested firms have reportedly requested the government to ease certain conditions related to the privatization process. However, officials clarified that the PIA brand name will remain unchanged, and the national flag on its aircraft will not be removed.

According to sources, ownership of PIA will remain with Pakistani nationals, and foreign individuals or entities will not be allowed to participate as majority shareholders in the bidding process.