After banning PIA, EU requests Pakistan Airlines to evacuate its employees from Afghanistan

After banning PIA, the EU requests Pakistan Airlines to evacuate its employees from Afghanistan!

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency imposed a ban on PIA in July 2020 over safety deficiencies and issues surrounding authorisation processes of pilot licencing.

The European Union officials have requested evacuation support from Pakistani authorities as the window for airlifting is narrowing down at the Kabul Airport amid the crisis in Afghanistan.

However, the majority of EU personnel has already fled the country after the Taliban takeover and deteriorating security situation.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said that those who banned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are now seeking assistance from the same airline for the evacuation of their people from the neighbouring country.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, the minister said that Pakistan had so far evacuated more than 4,400 people from Afghanistan and of them, PIA alone brought over 2,000 people to the country.

“Apart from that, as many as 27,000 people arrived into Pakistan from the Chaman border and some from the Torkham border,” he added.

The minister said Afghan nationals possessing valid documents could come into Pakistan.

“We will give our complete support to Afghanistan and it can only become stable if their institutions are intact.”