Over 300 Umrah passengers, including women and children are stranded at the Airport Hotel in Karachi since Tuesday night due to the ongoing strike by employees of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
All domestic and international flights of PIA remain cancelled as standoff between the government and the national airline’s employees turned deadly on Tuesday. Three protesters were killed by ‘mysterious’ gunshots during a violent protest at Karachi airport.
Reports suggest passengers stranded at the hotel without their luggage as they had boarded the planes, before being disembarked.
“The passengers are in Ahram and have no other option but to wait for a call from the airline,” an employee of the hotel said.
“Passengers, mostly pilgrims, are advised to stay at the transit hotel, which has a total of 309 rooms,” the source added.
“It is unfair that we have been left here in this state. Nobody is telling us what is going to happen next,” Shahid Iqbal, one of the stranded pilgrims said.
While the passengers demand the authorities concerned to inform them about further developments, the PIA management has said they are unable to give any time frame for resumption of flights.
