[ad_1]
The suspension was because the Taliban government ordered the airline (the only international airline that regularly operates outside the capital of Afghanistan) to lower its ticket prices.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspended flights to Kabul after allegedly high-pressure intervention by the Taliban authorities.
The suspension on Thursday was due to the Taliban government’s order for the airline to reduce ticket prices to levels before the fall of the Western-backed Afghan government in August. The airline is the only international airline that regularly operates outside the Afghan capital.
“Due to the unprofessional attitude of the Kabul aviation authority, our flights often face improper delays,” PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafiz Khan told AFP.
He added that this route will remain suspended until “the situation becomes favorable.”
A source at the airline told AFP that Taliban officials often “depreciated” and once “rudely treated” a staff member.
PIA says it maintains flights on humanitarian grounds [File: Karim Sahib/AFP]Earlier, the Taliban warned PIA and the Afghan airline Kam Air that unless they agree to lower prices that most Afghans cannot afford, their operations in Afghanistan risk being blocked.
According to a travel agency in Kabul, since most airlines no longer fly to Afghanistan, the price of a ticket to the Pakistani capital Islamabad on the PIA has been as high as US$2,500, up from US$120 to US$150.
The Afghan Ministry of Transport stated in a statement that the price of the route should be “adjusted according to the airfare conditions of the Islamic Emirate before the victory”, otherwise the flight will be stopped.
It urges passengers and others to report any violations.
Since the reopening of flights between Afghanistan and Pakistan last month, flights between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been severely restricted as the Taliban took over Afghanistan after a quick victory on the battlefield, causing chaos for more than 100,000 Westerners and vulnerable Afghans Evacuate.
Abdullah, a 26-year-old employee of a pharmaceutical company, said that PIA flights are “a small window” for Afghans trying to leave the country.
“We need these flights very much. The border is closed, and now if the airport is closed, it’s as if we are all locked in cages,” he said, according to a Reuters report.
High premium
PIA, which operates charter flights to Kabul instead of regular commercial services, stated that it maintained the flights on humanitarian grounds and paid more than US$400,000 in insurance premiums. “This is only possible if 300 passengers are available.” , Khan said.
PIA stated that since the establishment of the new Taliban government, its staff in Kabul have faced changes in regulations and flight permits and intimidation by Taliban commanders at the last minute.
It said that its national representative was pointed at a gun for hours in an incident and was not released until the intervention of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul.
As the growing economic crisis intensified concerns about the future of Afghanistan under Taliban rule, the massive demand for flights, the situation got worse due to repeated problems at the land border crossings into Pakistan.
Since reopening this month, the main passport office in Kabul has been surrounded by people trying to obtain travel documents.
These flights are also used by international officials and aid workers going to Kabul.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government called on the world to engage with the Taliban and provide economic support to the aid-dependent country. Since the takeover, Western donors have frozen the country’s funds.
However, Pakistan has not recognized the Taliban government.
[ad_2]
Source link