Pakistan International Airlines on Monday made the first international commercial flight to Afghanistan since the Taliban seized the country, officials said.
Flight PK6429, which was contracted by the World Bank, landed in Kabul and then returned to Islamabad. The Boeing 777 was carrying bank officials and journalists, airline spokesman Abdullah Khan told Reuters.
“It was a special commercial flight,” Khan said. “We also accommodated other people who wanted to leave Afghanistan because we had space on the plane.”
PIA chief operating officer Arshad Malik said in a statement: “We hope we can resume a full operation soon.”
About 70 people were on board the flight to Pakistan, most of them Afghans who were relatives of employees of international organizations such as the World Bank, airport staff told Agence France-Presse.
“I am being evacuated. My final destination is Tajikistan. I will return here only if the situation allows women to work and move freely, “a 35-year-old evacuated person from the World Bank, who did not want to be named, told AFP.
A 22-year-old man said he was on a month-long trip to Pakistan.
“It’s like a holiday. I am sad and happy. Sad for the country, but happy to leave for a while, ”the college student told the press.
As the passengers prepared to board, the female airport staff cautiously performed their duties.
“I don’t know if we will be killed or not for working here,” one of the two women handling the security scanning machine told AFP.
The Taliban’s seizure of power has sparked a chaotic mass exodus, as many Afghans fear a repeat of the brutal interpretation of Islamic law applied during the militants’ previous rule: when girls were expelled from school, women were confined. at home and crimes were punishable. by stoning or execution.
Islamic militants have this time promised a softer form of government, but have moved quickly to crush dissent, including firing into the air to disperse recent protests by women demanding the right to education and work.
A PIA spokesman said it was too early to say how often flights between the two countries would operate.
“This is a big moment for me after a long time since the change of establishment in Kabul,” Jawad Zafar, head of operations at PIA, told AFP on Monday.
Last week, Qatar Airways operated several charter flights from Kabul, transporting mainly foreigners and Afghans who lost the evacuation. An Afghan airline resumed domestic services on 3 September.