Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has said that its operations to Kabul have been “temporarily” suspended as the new Afghan Taliban regime is restricting its nationals from leaving the country.
“We have requests from international agencies to transport their support staff, mostly of Afghanistan nationality, however, the new Afghan [Taliban] regime is not allowing nationals to travel at this point,” PIA Spokesperson Abdullah Khan said, adding that the airline would resume operations once the restrictions are relaxed, reported Arab News.
“Almost all aspiring Pakistani nationals have reached Pakistan either by air or through road,” Khan said. “The PIA has evacuated 1460 people, including Pakistanis and nationals of different countries.”
The United States and its allies have evacuated more than 70,000 people, including their citizens, NATO personnel and Afghans at risk, since August 14, a day before the Taliban swept into Kabul. Pakistan, which has refused to admit Afghan refugees, has so far helped evacuate almost 1,500 people, most of them diplomats and staff at international organisations and media outlets working in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have said all foreign evacuations must be completed by August 31 and asked the United States to stop urging talented Afghans to leave, while also trying to persuade people camped at Kabul airport to go home, assuring them they had nothing to fear.
