BAHAWALPUR: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed flights from Karachi to Bahawalpur and back after a year.

The PIA had discontinued flights for the Bahawalpur airport in March 2020 after the breakout of Covid-19 across the country. According to PIA station manager Mansoor Lodhi, PIA’s flight No PK-588 of 48-seat ATR aircraft carrying 24 passengers from Karachi landed here and after about half an hour stoppage, flight No 589-PK with 35 passengers returned to Karachi. The passengers on their arrival and those who boarded the flight from here were warmly welcomed and seen off by the PIA and airport staff members.

The station manager said that the dispatched passengers from Bahawalpur were accommodated in the aircraft in accordance with the strict compliance of Covid-19 SOPs as the middle row was kept vacant. It may be recalled that the PIA has introduced twice a week Karachi flights on each Thursday and Monday from the Bahawalpur airport. Meanwhile, the locals, especially the business community, have demanded that the PIA management also resume flight operations for Lahore and Islamabad from Bahawalpur airport.

FIRs: The joint raiding teams of civil administration, police and food departments claimed to have seized thousands of maunds wheat being allegedly smuggled out of the district on Thursday.

According to the civil administration officials in Hasilpur, trucks and trailers carrying as many as 52,500 bags of wheat were seized. Over two dozen first information reports were registered against those responsible for the smuggling of wheat. In Ahmedpur East tehsil, the food department officials seized 2,600 bags of wheat at Channigoth intersection.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2021