Pakistan International Airlines launches direct flights from Lahore to Paris; to be operational from June 18
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced the launch of a direct flight from Lahore to Paris, starting June 18, ARY News reported.
According to PIA management, the weekly flight will operate from Lahore to Paris. The PIA already operates two weekly flights from Islamabad to Paris.
PIA has reportedly been operating profitably since March 2024, Parliamentary Secretary Zeb Jaffar highlighted at the National Assembly during the Question Hour on Wednesday.
Responding to a question from MNA Sharmila Faruqi, Zeb Jaffar stated that irresponsible statements made on the floor of the House in the past had damaged the reputation and business of the airline. "The consequences of those remarks were felt by the country," she added.
Jaffar said PIA has now resumed flights to the European Union, including two destinations in Europe, such as Paris.
She futher mentioned that the government had engaged in dialogue with the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which paved the way for restarting flights to Paris. Talks with UK aviation authorities are also underway.
According to ARY News, discussions are also ongoing with Turkish Airlines, which is expected to benefit Pakistani travellers. The government is actively working to expand PIA's network to profitable routes, including the Middle East and North Africa.
She added that efforts to make the national airline more profitable are continuing, and their impact will become more visible in the coming months.
Earlier, PIA introduced direct flights from Lahore to Baku, Azerbaijan. The flights will operate twice a week, departing every Saturday and Wednesday.
To introduce the new route, PIA organised an event for travel agents and tour operators, providing them with flight details and benefits, as per ARY News. The direct air link will make it easier for people to travel between the two countries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
India watching Pak federal budget closely, to flag any breach of IMF aid terms
New Delhi: When Pakistan's finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presents the country's FY26 federal budget on Tuesday, top officials sitting in New Delhi will scout for a key figure —defence spending —according to two persons privy to the situation. New Delhi's concern is about where the money is coming from – will international aid to Pakistan, given for specific, targeted projects actually go into the stated purpose of economic reforms and climate resilience or will it be diverted to the military? As part of a $2.4 billion financial aid approved last month by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Islamabad has committed to preparing its FY26 budget 'in close consultation with the Fund". This condition, said one of the persons quoted above, is usually reserved for bail-out packages for far more serious financial crises, but has been applied in the case of Pakistan despite the funding being tailored for specific projects. Coming against the backdrop of the recent India-Pakistan conflict, this enables greater multilateral oversight of the country's resource management, the person said requesting anonymity. IMF documents will show Pakistan's commitments and trajectory for major revenue receipts and spending targets, including defence. 'If we see any discrepancies, we can take it up with IMF,' said the second person, who also asked not to be named. Information available from the IMF, based on Pakistani authorities and IMF staff estimates and projections, showed Islamabad's defence spending is estimated to have risen from ₹ 1.2 trillion Pakistani rupees in FY20 to over ₹ 2.1 trillion in FY25 although as a share of GDP, it declined from 2.6% to 1.9% during the period. Queries emailed on Thursday to the IMF and to the finance and external affairs ministries on Friday seeking comments for the story remained unanswered at the time of publishing. Experts pointed to the need for close oversight of how Pakistan uses international aid. 'India has to work closely with the countries contributing to the resources of international and multilateral organizations to ensure that either funding is not extended to Pakistan or if done, stricter terms are attached to it and some kind of international monitoring is included. Ensuring usage of funds for stated objectives takes close oversight,' said Maj Gen (Dr) Ashok Kumar, VSM, Director General of Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, an autonomous think-tank. 'Pakistan tends to hype up its security needs as existential threats in order to justify significant defence allocations. China has a vested interest here as Pakistan imports about 80% of its military hardware from China, and is the largest importer of military equipment from China. I see the situation changing only when there is real democracy in Pakistan, which can drive its agenda towards economic development,' said Kumar. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Pakistan was the top arms importer from China in 2020-24, swallowing up 63% of Beijing's exports. 'We have never attacked Pakistan, we have only responded decisively,' added Kumar. Despite India's protests, the IMF on 9 May, cleared immediate disbursal of $1 billion to Pakistan for economic reforms under a package approved last year and another $1.4 billion to reduce vulnerabilities to natural disasters. It said the country has 'delivered significant progress in stabilizing the economy' and made 'important progress in restoring macroeconomic stability despite a challenging environment.' In a strongly worded statement on that day, India raised concerns over the efficacy of IMF programmes in Pakistan given the country's 'poor track record, and also on the possibility of misuse of debt financing funds for state sponsored cross-border terrorism.' Pakistan's finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, a former international banker and former chief executive of JP Morgan's Global Corporate Bank for the Asia Pacific region, has said the recent military escalation with India will not have a large fiscal impact on Pakistan and could be managed within the current fiscal space, Reuters reported on 12 May. India has also strongly objected to the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) decision to extend financial support to Pakistan, warning that the funds could be misused amid rising defence spending, Mint reported on 4 June, citing an official aware of the matter. ADB on 3 June approved an $800-million programme to strengthen fiscal sustainability and improve public financial management in Pakistan. Pakistan's economy is estimated to have grown at 2.6% in FY25.
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Pakistan fools its ally Azerbaijan despite getting support against India, sells 40 fighter jets at....
You won't believe what Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif did publicly after seeing this young, beautiful actress! She viral video Pakistan fools its ally Azerbaijan: In a significant development affecting the ongoing relations between Pakistan and its 'Bhaijaan' country Azerbaijan, Pakistan has signed a major defense deal with Azerbaijan, selling 40 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and through the deal, Pakistan has likely fooled Azerbaijan of billions of dollars. Here are all the details you need to know about the recent development between Pakistan and its ally Azerbaijan. In what is being called the biggest export deal for 40 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets so far, Pakistan and Turkey have signed $4.6 billions. For a background information, the average cost of each JF-17 Thunder fighter jets is only around $32 million, but the average cost of sale of the jets to Azerbaijan is around $1.28 billion, thus giving losses in billions to Azerbaijan. Readers must note that Azerbaijan and Pakistan share very friendly relations and Azerbaijan recently helped Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan tensions. Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan set to strengthen anti-India nexus Islamabad In another significant development on Pakistan- Azerbaijan relations, the growing nexus between Islamabad-Ankara-Baku is expected to deepen and broaden further during the visit of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Azerbaijan after concluding his ongoing visit to Iran, as per a report by news agency IANS. According to a report by IANS, a trilateral summit of Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan is expected to be held in Lachin, a strategic city that connects Azerbaijan to Armenia, in the next 48 hours to take 'important decisions on joint strategies' in several fields, including defence. 'This high-level trilateral meeting between the heads of state/government of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan will be held in the city of Lachin, Azerbaijan, which is known for its natural beauty and strategic importance. The meeting is being held to consider the regional situation arising after the recent conflict between Pakistan and India, explore opportunities for mutual cooperation, and formulate a strategy for a common future,' Pakistani media reported on Tuesday. (With inputs from agencies)
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
In Georgia, Pak man with UAE residency denied entry to US state, says 'was treated like a criminal'. Know the revised rules
A Pakistani national with UAE residency faced detention and denial of entry at Kutaisi International Airport in Georgia, despite possessing valid documents. The traveler recounted a harrowing experience of mistreatment and humiliation, highlighting concerns about discriminatory practices. Georgia's updated visa policy now mandates a minimum validity of one year on GCC residency permits, impacting travelers from designated countries. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pak man denied entry to Georgia Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Georgia's revised rules A Pakistani national living in the UAE was detained for more than 12 hours and denied entry at Kutaisi International Airport during the Eid al-Adha holiday, despite holding valid UAE residency and all required travel documents, according to a Reddit post shared by the traveller and media reports. The traveller, a Pakistani national with UAE residency, had planned a short vacation to Georgia, assuming his documents would suffice. Instead, he and his friend were denied entry, detained in a "prison-like" room, and allegedly humiliated by airport authorities, despite having valid allows visa-free entry to citizens of the United Arab Emirates, and also permits individuals holding a UAE visa or residence permit to stay for up to 90 a Reddit post cautioning fellow Pakistanis against traveling to Georgia, one user recounted a troubling experience at Kutaisi Airport. He explained that he and a friend had flown from Abu Dhabi to Kutaisi via Wizz Air, carrying valid UAE residency permits, confirmed hotel reservations, return tickets, travel insurance, and all necessary documentation. Despite being fully prepared, their trip quickly soured when immigration officers singled them out upon learning they were from Pakistan."If you are a Pakistani National with UAE residency, I warn you to not waste your money and face the humiliation we faced at Kutaisi airport," the user wrote in the Reddit said they were then taken to a separate room, where officials refused to answer any of their questions. Instead, they were treated with hostility and instructed to stand in a corner. After about 20 minutes, a woman entered and informed them they would not be allowed to enter Georgia. When they asked for a reason, she simply replied, 'We cannot tell you.''There was no explanation, no evidence, no mention of any violation—just a vague refusal,' he recounted. 'We asked politely for clarification, but they continued to treat us like criminals.'The Reddit user emphasized that neither he nor his friend had misbehaved or lacked any required paperwork. Still, they were detained for over 12 hours in what he described as a "prison-like" room with no access to food, clean water, or a sanitary added that he holds a senior position in Abu Dhabi, has a clean travel record, and no criminal history. Despite this, he claimed the airport officials were aggressive and tried to confiscate their phones when they realized he was attempting to contact the UAE and Pakistani embassies.'Our loss wasn't just financial—we lost money on flights, hotels, insurance, and car rentals,' he wrote. 'But far worse was the mental anguish, anxiety, and psychological toll. The officers were rude, racist, and unjust—plain and simple. We feel humiliated, angry, and dehumanized. This experience will stay with us forever.'The post quickly gained traction online, prompting others to share similar experiences in Georgia.'I'm Nigerian, and this happened to me and my friend in 2023. It was a horrible experience. Now, even when traveling elsewhere, I get PTSD about possible entry refusal—even with all documents in order,' one commenter shared.'They target many Indians too,' another user added. 'Traveling to Georgia is risky for South Asians. It's best to avoid it altogether.''You're not the first,' noted a third. 'Georgia has earned a bad reputation for its treatment of South Asians. As a Pakistani, you're better off visiting neighboring Azerbaijan.'Georgia has updated its visa policy, now requiring that citizens from designated countries holding multiple-entry visas or residence permits from GCC states must have at least one year of validity remaining on those documents at the time of entry. Travelers must be able to present proof of this validity. Previously, no minimum validity period was specified, reports agents in the UAE have confirmed that incidents similar to Muhammad's have become more common since the new rules were implemented.'This isn't unusual—many countries have had such requirements for years,' said Godly Babukutty, a UAE-based travel agent, in a statement to Khaleej Times. 'Georgia is tightening its entry policies because many travelers arrive without a proper itinerary or fail to complete all necessary sections of the entry form.'Babukutty advised travelers to secure hotel reservations, return flights, travel insurance, and proof of sufficient funds before departure. 'This is why it's always safer to book through travel agencies that ensure all documentation is in order. And we strongly advise never traveling without insurance,' he added.
