Islamabad-bound PIA flight from Saudi carrying Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif diverted to Lahore, inconveniencing different passengers

LAHORE: An Islamabad-bound PIA flight carrying Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation again from their go to to Saudi Arabia was diverted to Lahore airport, inflicting inconvenience to lots of of different passengers, in line with a media report on Wednesday. Apparently, the incident got here shut on the heels of Prime Minister Sharif not too long ago declaring a ban on the purple carpet at occasions in his favour, which earned accolades for signalling a shift in direction of eradicating the VIP tradition and inspiring a tradition of humility throughout the realm of public service.
Quoting a PIA spokesperson, the Daybreak newspaper reported that the Pakistan Worldwide Airways flight from Jeddah to Islamabad, carrying Sharif and his daughter Maryam again from their go to to Saudi Arabia, was diverted to Lahore airport on Monday.
When requested whether or not this was particular therapy, the spokesperson of the ailing nationwide flag service stated, “VIPs have been handled like business passengers.”
The flight PK842 carrying 393 passengers, which was imagined to land in Islamabad at 10:30 pm on Monday, was diverted to Allama Iqbal Worldwide Airport right here and landed at 9:25 pm, the report stated.
The Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and different VIPs disembarked at Lahore, which prompted inconvenience to lots of of different Islamabad-bound passengers, the report stated, quoting sources.
Official sources stated the business flight from Jeddah to Islamabad carried the official Pakistani delegation coming back from Saudi Arabia. Other than Sharif and Maryam, the delegation included Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and others, together with their relations.
Movies circulating on social media confirmed passengers expressing their anger, however that they had no different choice however to attend till the VIPs disembarked earlier than persevering with their journey to Islamabad.
After offloading about 79 passengers, the flight ultimately took off for Islamabad and landed on the Islamabad Worldwide Airport at 11:17 pm as an alternative of 10:30 pm.
Prime Minister Sharif was in Saudi Arabia on his first international go to after assuming cost final month.