A number of domestic and international flights were cancelled on Thursday because of thunder and dust-storms and President Asif Ali Zardari, who was travelling on a PIA flight from Nawabshah to Islamabad, had to land in Lahore because of bad weather conditions.
Civil aviation sources confirmed that the president’s flight had be rerouted and landed at the old terminal of Lahore airport because of unfavourable weather conditions, while various commercial flights were cancelled or rescheduled. Sources indicated that President Zardari stayed for a short period at Governor’s House here, from where he later left for Islamabad by road via M-2 Motorway. According to Motorway Police sources, the president’s cavalcade was travelling at the speed of 100-110 kilometres per hour as the storm had reduced travelling speed on the motorway. The flights cancelled included the Karachi-Lahore SAI-144, Islamabad-Lahore PIA-657, Karachi-Lahore SAI-146, Lahore-Karachi SAI-145 and SAI-147, while the Karachi-bound PIA-307, Islamabad-bound PIA-616 and PIA-658 were delayed. At least 17 people were injured in a massive dust-storm that struck Lahore on Thursday night, with tempestuous winds uprooting trees and knocking down billboards, injuring people and causing damage to vehicles. Reportedly, power also went out in various areas of the city because of the storm.
