The British government has announced that it will airlift 2,000 Afghan refugees from Pakistan to the UK through special charter flights. The operation is expected to begin Thursday 26 October and continue until the end of December. According to media reports, the decision was made during a meeting between the British High Commissioner to Pakistan and the top leadership of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The two sides discussed the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the UK and the operation of special flights for their transfer. According to a CAA spokesperson, 12 special charter flights will be operated to transport the Afghan refugees to the UK.

The first flight is scheduled to depart from Islamabad on Thursday, October 26, carrying 200 refugees. The spokesperson also confirmed that special arrangements are being made at Islamabad Airport to facilitate the evacuation of the refugees. The British delegation expressed gratitude to Pakistani institutions for their cooperation and willingness to operate the special flights. The airlift operation is part of the UK's Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which was launched in August 2021 to resettle Afghan nationals who are at risk due to their association with the UK government or military.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)