Officials reported that a total of 461 students arrived from Bishkek in two separate flights at Bacha Khan International Airport on Wednesday.
The first flight, ER-1786 by Serene Air, chartered by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, landed at 1:52 am with 288 students aboard. The second flight, PK-6265, carrying 173 students, landed at 11:20 am. Provincial authorities warmly welcomed the students upon their arrival.
According to a statement from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, along with provincial ministers, government officials, and the PDMA director general, greeted the students at the airport. The statement also mentioned the presence of the students’ parents.
The PDMA provided transportation for the students, and efforts are underway to list those still stranded in Kyrgyzstan.
In a separate statement from the chief minister’s secretariat, it was mentioned that the students, hailing from various parts of the country, were temporarily housed at the Chief Minister’s House. They are scheduled to depart for their respective areas on Thursday, with the government covering their transportation costs.
However, the provincial government criticized the federal government for allegedly obstructing a special flight to repatriate stranded students from Bishkek.
“We have made all the necessary arrangements to bring the students back, but the federal government, specifically Federal Minister for Defence Khwaja Muhammad Asif, has been hindering the operation,” stated KP government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif.
He explained that the first special flight, initially scheduled to depart from Allama Iqbal International Airport at 2 pm on Wednesday, was denied permission to proceed. Despite providing all required documentation, the federal government delayed the evacuation operation.
Saif criticized politicians for politicizing the issue, emphasizing the concerns of the students’ relatives in Bishkek.
