Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Foggy weather conditions and poor visibility continue to disrupt air and road travel across the country as several inbound international flights were diverted to Islamabad from Lahore, while multiple road networks also remain closed for traffic.
Foggy weather conditions affected normal life, while particularly disrupting road travel, in various cities of the Punjab province, including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad.
Islamabad to Lahore (M2) and Islamabad to Peshawar (M1) and Swabi to Peshawar motorways remained closed due to severe fog.
Meanwhile, several motorways in the Punjab province and those linked to Islamabad were also closed amid thick fog.
Flight operations delayed amid foggy weather
The persistent thick fog also affected aerial travel as several flight operations at Islamabad International Airport were suspended. According to details, the visibility on the runway of Islamabad Airport has been decreased due to heavy fog.
A large number of passengers awaited at the airport due to flight delays. Meanwhile, international flight operations between Riyadh and Karachi were also delayed.
Earlier, due to poor visibility, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) diverted all international flights from Lahore to Islamabad.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said earlier all international flights that were to operate from Lahore between 10 pm and 11 am have been shifted to Islamabad. He clarified that the flight shifting arrangements will be changed after the fog situation improves in Lahore.
The PIA spokesperson said that the move was aimed at ensuring air safety and saving passengers from waiting longer. The spokesperson advised passengers to contact the PIA helpline at (051) 111 786 786 for timely flight information.
Forecast: weather to remain cold and dry in most of country
According to the Meteorological Department, the weather will remain cold and dry in most parts of the country on Friday. The forecast comes after a spell of rainfall in several parts of the country on the previous day.
Meanwhile, during the last 24 hours, it rained in various areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, including Malakand, Hazara, Islamabad, and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the mountains of northern areas including Gilgit-Baltistan also received snowfall.
