Delayed post-Hajj flights irk pilgrims

According to reports, flights carrying pilgrims reached late at Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar airport. Flight carrying 499 pilgrims landed at Islamabad airport after delay of three hours.Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Hajj flight PK-2502 was scheduled to arrive at 10:40pm on Thursday but it touched down at the Islamabad Airport at 12:46am on Friday.According to the pilgrims, non-availability of transport in Jeddah caused delay in flight. Talking to mediamen at Islamabad airport the pilgrims said that shortage of busses during Hajj process created inconvenience for them. Similarly another Peshawar-bound Hajj flight PIA’s flight PK-2102 carrying 327 pilgrims also reached its destination five and a half hours later than originally scheduled. The cause of delay was none other than unavailability of a PIA plane that was to fly pilgrims back home.Flight PK-7682 carrying 455 pilgrims landed Karachi airport after delay of three hours. The pilgrims said that they have to face lot of difficulties due to poor arrangements of PIA. The pilgrims further said that the arrangements were better than previous year but PIA’s arrangements were not good. The pilgrims have demanded of the government to take steps on emergency basis to steer PIA out from the ongoing crunch. On this juncture talking to media MD PIA Nadeem Yusufzai said that PIA is not responsible for delay in the flights but the delay was due to the “Moalims” who had transported the pilgrims late to the Jeddah Airport.