Tag: Sialkot airport

  • IG Punjab promises ‘good news’ soon in ongoing search for missing journalist Imran Riaz

    IG Punjab promises ‘good news’ soon in ongoing search for missing journalist Imran Riaz

    Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar, during a court hearing addressing a plea concerning the whereabouts of anchorperson Imran Riaz, asserted on Wednesday that the police were poised to deliver “good news” in the coming days. As a result of this statement, the court granted an extension for additional time to locate the missing journalist.

    Imran Riaz has remained untraceable since his apprehension at Sialkot airport on May 11, a mere two days following widespread protests triggered by the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan on May 9. His last known location was the Cantt police station immediately following his arrest, and subsequently, he was transferred to Sialkot prison.

    It’s worth noting that Imran Riaz was among several journalists taken into custody in the aftermath of the May 9 protests. Following these events, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed on May 16 by the anchorperson’s father, Muhammad Riaz, alleging the abduction of his son. 

    According to Dawn, the FIR listed “unidentified persons” and police officials as suspects under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, pertaining to kidnapping or abducting with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person.

    In parallel, the journalist’s father initiated legal proceedings by submitting a plea to the Lahore High Court for the recovery of his son. 

    Today, Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti presided over the case and was apprised by the Punjab IG of positive progress in the ongoing investigation. 

    In his statement, the IG assured the court of forthcoming positive developments within the next 10 to 15 days and requested additional time for their efforts to locate Imran Riaz.

  • AirSial to start flights by mid-December

    AirSial to start flights by mid-December

    After a months-long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, AirSial is finally here. The private airline owned by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry will start its operations from next month, and its first Airbus A320-200 plane has already arrived in Sialkot this Sunday.

    AirSial was among six new airlines that had applied to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for regular public transport (RPT) licences in 2018. However, following the issuance of the permit, it had faced an uncertain future after its launch scheduled for May 2020 was indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic among other reasons.

    But, the arrival of its fleet from the US means the private airline is all-set to launch its flights operations. Meanwhile,

    reports also claim that PM Imran Khan will inaugurate the private airline on Dec 9, but the operations would be started much later. It will operate flights between Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot and Peshawar before expanding operations to the other cities.

    Initially, the airline’s operations will rely on three Airbus A320-200s, which have been leased from AerCap, the world’s largest independent aircraft leasing company, based in Dublin, Ireland.

    According to an AirSial official quoted by Dawn, two more aircraft would arrive soon in Sialkot, one of them on Dec 3, to join the new airline’s fleet.

    Reacting to the development, cricketer Shoaib Malik, who hails from Sialkot, said it was a “proud moment for everyone in Sialkot, who has been a part of the process”.