ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has safely evacuated 150 pilgrims stranded in Iran amid the Middle East crisis through a special PIA Airbus flight.
Aviation sources confirmed that at the request of the Foreign Office, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) dispatched a special flight to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where the pilgrims had been transported by road after Iran closed its airspace following clashes with Israel.
The PIA flight (PK-9552) brought back over 150 passengers, including families of Pakistani diplomatic staff stationed in Iran.
Iran shut its airspace last week after launching missile and drone strikes against Israel, leaving thousands of travelers, including Pakistani pilgrims, stranded.
