Routes out of Afghanistan dwindle as Pakistan cancels flights

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A cardinal way retired of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan was chopped disconnected Thursday erstwhile Pakistan canceled its nationalist carrier’s flights betwixt Islamabad and Kabul, citing disagreements with the Taliban.

Taliban authorities interfered with formation operations by repeatedly changing regulations, confusing permissions and limiting the fig of radical allowed connected each flight, said Abdullah Khan, a spokesperson for the Pakistani carrier.

The suspension comes aft weeks of Taliban promises to let state of question to each Afghans and reconstruct regular planetary flights successful and retired of Kabul. The Taliban took power of Afghanistan 2 months ago, and aft the completion of U.S. evacuation flights, the radical pledged that immoderate Afghan with valid documents could question abroad.

But hundreds if not thousands of Afghans desperate to fly the country stay incapable to due to the fact that of borderline closures, constricted flights and Taliban restrictions.

Pakistan International Airlines was 1 of 2 planetary airlines regularly flying successful and retired of Kabul airport. The different is backstage Afghan hose Kam Air that has aggregate flights a week to Islamabad. Qatar Airways besides operates occasional flights betwixt Kabul and Doha.

Khan said the determination to support flying into Kabul was a purely humanitarian 1 made “against each odds.” He besides said the precocious security rates required to onshore successful Kabul made it hard to support the flights viable without expanding summons prices.

A Taliban connection earlier Thursday demanded that Pakistan International Airlines and Kam Air driblet summons prices to rates seen earlier the militant group’s takeover. Flights betwixt Islamabad and Kabul that outgo astir $300 earlier this twelvemonth present outgo good implicit $1,300.

The Taliban transport ministry warned that immoderate bearer violating the caller argumentation would person its flights blocked.

U.S. officials person repeatedly called connected the Taliban to unrecorded up its pledge to let each Afghans state of question and harmless transition for those seeking to permission the country.