PIA not permitted Lahore-NY non-stop flight](http://nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2006/31/index9.php)
BY AMRAIZ KHAN
LAHORE - The US Homeland Security, expressing its security concerns, has not permitted PIA to bring its nonstop flight to New York, sources in the airline confided to The Nation here on Thursday.
PIA flight Pk-711 is scheduled to fly to New York non-stop today. It is interesting to note that the route of PIA flight PK-721 leaving Lahore for New York last Sunday was changed at the eleventh hour due to unknown reasons.
A delegation comprising officials from US main security agencies including Home Land Security and Traffic Safety Authority visited Pakistan recently and expressed their security concerns over the prevalent security measures at various International Airports.
The US security officials termed the security environment at Karachi and Islamabad Airports as worst where they believed that many influentials got away without security search and checks. They also said in the report that there were many entrance points on these airports. However, the security arrangements at Allama Iqbal International Airport have been found close to satisfaction, sources added.
It is interesting to note that PIA announced its flight to New York without prior permission from the host country. According to rules every airline was bound to seek prior permission to change the route from the country concerned.
As per Immigration laws, Pakistanis travelling to US on transit flight and holding green cards issued before 1998 were required to get transit visa from UK Embassy in Pakistan, which required a week to get transit visa. Since PIA was repeatedly asking its passengers through press that PIA flight was operating non stop from Pakistan to New York it meant the said passengers were not required to get transit visa.
Now as the US authorities have refused to allow the PIA to bring its flight direct to New York those possessing green cards would have to manage their transit visas which was not possible for them to manage within limited time. Ultimately they would be off loaded at the Lahore Airport, sources maintained.
A citizen Amir while making a telephone call to The Nation said that his brother was travelling to New York but he did not even bother to get transit visa as PIA was announcing repeatedly that the flight was non stop but now certain other sources had revealed that the flight was transit.
A senior official of PIA said PIA staff at Lahore and Manchester would facilitate seeking anonymity that the passengers missing transit visa
While giving his version a senior official of PIA management said that there was no need to worry for passenger as transit visa was not required for the transit flight.
He was confident about the operation of non-stop flights for New York and maintained that US authorities had not refused to non-stop flight to New York and meeting in this regard was underway with them, today the meeting would be concluded.
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I thought PIA was operating non-stop from Houston. Interestingly, the decision seems to have been made after Americans made a visit to Pakistani airports and saw the lapses in security. The disconnect seems to be between what Pakistanis are saying, and what is actually happening on the ground, so to speak.