ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Uzbekistan Airways will not restart its flight operations from Lahore to Tashkent as earlier it was scheduled on July 20, 2016, General Sales Agent (GSA) for Uzbekistan Airways in Pakistan said.
Though the airline company didn’t tell the reasons why Lahore-Tashkent flights would not resume as per schedule but travel experts told the Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency that deteriorated law & order situation especially persistent terrorist attacks across Pakistan and less interest of people on this flight route might be the reasons behind it.
Sources said that even some air tickets had been sold out for July 20 Lahore-Tashkent flight but now the resumption of flights have been cancelled for indefinite period.
Uzbekistan Airways suspended its flight operation to Lahore almost four year ago and Pakistan lost its last connection to Central Asia. However this year, a private company of Tajikistan started two flights a week on May 6 but now only one flight is flying a week with almost double of the fair that was announced in May.
When contacted, GSA for Uzbekistan Airways in Pakistan confirmed that July 20 flight was not on system and date of flights shall be announced when Uzbekistan Airways will inform Pakistani company about the future of Lahore-Tashkent flights.
Sources said that Lahore-Tashkent flight was in international flight system till April 2016. However later the flight disappeared from the system just after blast at Lahore’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park.
Sources also said that Pakistani authorities did not raise the issue of suspension of planned flights from Lahore to Tashkent with the Uzbek authorities during recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Tashkent.
It may be mentioned that Pakistan was first South Asian country that initiated flights to Tashkent after Uzbekistan got independence from former Soviet Union in early 90s.
Since there is no land or air connection between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, therefore any attempt to enhance bilateral trade or people to people interaction has become practically impossible although governments of Pakistan and Uzbekistan are committed to enhance trade and people to people contact.
“Pakistan government is shifting its attention to Central Asia since government of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif came into power but practical steps are also needed to connect Pakistan with Central Asia if Pakistan is really interested to get closer to Central Asian countries”, commented a travel consultant when asked to comment on the suspension of Pakistan Uzbekistan scheduled flight operations.
