The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate a special flight to Istanbul to evacuate the stranded Pakistanis following the attempted military coup by a faction of the Turkish armed forces on Saturday, announced the national carrier’s spokesman.”On the directions of the prime minister, Chairman PIA Azam Saigol has said that airline will operate a ferry flight to Istanbul at the earliest to evacuate the Pakistanis stranded in the city,” he said.
“In this regard the airline has approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for obtaining necessary approvals and permissions.”
According to a statement by PIA, a Boeing-777 aircraft will be sent to Istanbul as soon as the formalities are completed.
PIA doesn’t fly to Turkey and has a code sharing arrangement with Turkish Airlines under which passengers can travel on PIA’s ticket on Turkish Airlines flights, the spokesman said.
Above 200 Pakistani nationals are stranded at the Istanbul airport, DawnNews reported.
More than 194 people — including 41 police, 47 civilians, two military officers and 104 described as “coup plotters” — were killed in clashes that erupted since Friday after forces attempted to seize power using tanks and attack helicopters, some strafing the headquarters of Turkish intelligence and parliament in Ankara, others seizing a major bridge in Istanbul.