| The latest iteration of "Meet the Fokkers." |
 GILGIT: Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) members Dr Muzaffar Ali Khan Relay and Mirza Hussain on Monday demanded the Pakistan International Airlines authorities operate all-weather flights to Gilgit and Skardu otherwise tourism industry could not be promoted in the area. | "Enchanted Pakistan: Come for the Sectarian Violence, Stay for the Horrific Plane Crashes. Insh'Allah." |
"Thousands of passengers end up in frustration in Gilgit, Skardu and Islamabad as the outdated Fokker (F-27) planes are unable to wade through cloudy weather," they said. They added that the NALC had passed a unanimous resolution in 2004 demanding all-weather planes, but the authorities had yet to honour the resolution. They said that the outdated Fokker planes had been unable to land and take off during inclement weather since 1960 and therefore their replacement with new and modern planes had become imperative if the government was sincere in developing the region for tourism. The passengers, particularly those unable to traverse through 600-long Karakoram Highway (KKH), have to await PIA flights for many weeks, the NALC members said. They said the authorities had pledged many times that all-weather flights would be operated but this inordinate delay in the provision of modern planes had been escalating only the level of frustration among the people of the NAs. |