Peshawar-bound PIA flight from Muscat diverted to Karachi after technical problem

F.P. Report

KARACHI: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight headed toward the northwestern city of Peshawar from Muscat, Oman, was diverted to Karachi on Sunday after it experienced a technical problem, the airline’s spokesperson said.

The national flag carrier’s spokesperson said PIA’s PK-260 flight had departed from Muscat and was on its way to Peshawar when it experienced a technical problem, prompting the pilot to divert it to the southern port city of Karachi.

“Planes are brought to the Karachi base as it has repair and engineering facilities,” the spokesperson explained.

He said the flight landed safely in Karachi and all measures to ensure air safety were adopted.

“Passengers were taken care of at the Karachi airport and they are being dispatched [to Peshawar] via the PK-368 flight,” the spokesperson said.

Pakistan plans to sell more than 51 percent of its stake in the loss-making airline as part of the economic reforms suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which approved a long-awaited 37-month $7 billion bailout deal on Wednesday for the South Asian country.