Imran returning to Pakistan by commercial flight

Islamabad, Sep 29 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan departed for Riyadh by a commercial flight on his way back to Pakistan after his special plane given to him by the Saui Arabia government had to turn back to New York due to a technical fault.

The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, was seen off on Saturday afternoon at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, reports The News International.

On Friday evening, technicians tried but could not fix the problem in the special plane, which was placed at his disposal by the Saudi government, after it landed back in New York.

Officials said it was then decided to return to Roosevelt Hotel where the Prime Minister, who led the Pakistan delegation to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, had been staying and to take a regular Saudi Airlines flight on Saturday for his return journey.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Naeemul Haque had also confirmed the technical fault and had announced at the time that the prime minister would be spending the night back at the hotel in New York, Dawn news reported.

Khan is expected to reach Islamabad on Sunday evening.