Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday announced to suspend flight operations to and from Kabul for an unspecified period of time due to oppressive interference of Taliban administration.
The suspension decision was taken citing the inappropriate behavior of Taliban authorities when they ordered PIA, the only international company operating regularly out of Kabul, to drop the ticket prices back to previous levels seen before the fall of the former Afghan government in August.
“We are suspending our flight operations to Kabul from today because of the heavy-handedness of the authorities,” said the spokesperson, “Last-minute change in decision by the Afghan authorities and unfavorable conditions for foreign airlines in Kabul were also key reasons behind the decision.”
He further added that PIA’s aircraft will not fly to Kabul without insurance.
The spokesman also pointed out the fact that PIA kept on conducting its flight operations to Afghanistan in its “difficult times” when other airlines had stopped working in the war-ravaged country. He was referring to the support PIA provided by managing the mass evacuation of more than 100,000 Westerners and vulnerable Afghans following the Taliban victory.
Previously, the Afghan transport ministry made a statement on the rescheduling of the ticket prices on the said route, saying “the prices should be adjusted to correspond with the conditions of a ticket before the victory of the Islamic Emirate” or else the flight would be stopped. They have also advised passengers and others to report any violations.
According to Kabul’s travel agents, the ticket price for a flight to Islamabad is $2500 which is much higher as compared to $120-$150 in the previous times of the western-backed Afghan government.
Ever since the formation of the new Taliban government, PIA’s staff in Kabul faced last-minute changes in regulations and flight permissions and “highly intimidating behavior” from Taliban commanders, reported the PIA.