‘Birds of Goodness’ airdrops another humanitarian aid batch in north Gaza
DUBAI, April 10: The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence announced the airdrop of the 29th humanitarian aid batch as part of the ‘Birds of Goodness’ operation.
This airdrop includes Eid parcels containing clothes, shoes, toys, sweets, and various items for all family members, arriving in time for Eid-al-Fitr.
This initiative aims to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza and contribute to their well-being during this important holiday.
As part of “Operation Chivalrous Knight 3”, five aircraft, including two C17s from the UAE Air Force and two C295s and one C130 from the Egyptian Air Force, participated in the airdrop. The mission focused on reaching inaccessible, isolated areas in the northern Gaza Strip.
A total of 85 tonnes of food and relief aid were delivered, bringing the total amount of aid provided through the Birds of Goodness operation to 1,732 tonnes since its inception.
Meanwhile, the total amount of aid that the UAE provided to northern Gaza by air and land during Ramadan exceeds 2,102 tonnes. This includes aid shipped by land through the Karam Abu Salem crossing and by air through the Birds of Goodness operation.
This initiative comes within the framework of the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to intensify humanitarian aid efforts to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip during Ramadan. (ANI)
Diversion of flight with Pak PM, Punjab CM onboard gives passengers a hard time
Lahore, April 10: An Islamabad-bound PIA flight carrying Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation back from their visit to Saudi Arabia was diverted to Lahore airport, causing inconvenience to hundreds of other passengers, according to a media report on Wednesday.
Interestingly, the incident came close on the heels of Prime Minister Sharif recently declaring a ban on the red carpet at events in his favour, which earned accolades for signalling a shift towards eradicating the VIP culture and encouraging a culture of humility within the realm of public service.
Quoting a PIA spokesperson, the Dawn newspaper reported that the Pakistan International Airlines flight from Jeddah to Islamabad, carrying Sharif and his daughter Maryam back from their visit to Saudi Arabia, was diverted to Lahore airport on Monday.
When asked whether this was special treatment, the spokesperson of the ailing national flag carrier said, “VIPs were treated like commercial passengers.” The flight PK842 carrying 393 passengers, which was supposed to land in Islamabad at 10:30 pm on Monday, was diverted to Allama Iqbal International Airport here and landed at 9:25 pm, the report said.
The Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and other VIPs disembarked at Lahore, which caused inconvenience to hundreds of other Islamabad-bound passengers, the report said, quoting sources.
Official sources said the commercial flight from Jeddah to Islamabad carried the official Pakistani delegation returning from Saudi Arabia. Apart from Sharif and Maryam, the delegation included Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and others, along with their family members.
Videos circulating on social media showed passengers expressing their anger, but they had no other option but to wait until the VIPs disembarked before continuing their journey to Islamabad.
After offloading about 79 passengers, the flight eventually took off for Islamabad and landed at the Islamabad International Airport at 11:17 pm instead of 10:30 pm.
Prime Minister Sharif was in Saudi Arabia on his first foreign visit after assuming charge last month. (PTI)