After hours-long delay, Imran Khan departs for Pakistan on commercial flight

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Imran Khan, Paksitan, Islamabad airport.

Islamabad - Leaders are set to give Imran Khan an unprecedented welcome at the Islamabad airport.

By ANI/IANS

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Published: Sun 29 Sep 2019, 8:58 AM

Last updated: Sun 29 Sep 2019, 11:31 AM

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday departed for Pakistan on a commercial aircraft, after a special jet given to him by the Saudi Arabian government, had developed a technical glitch minutes after taking off from New York airport.
Imran Khan and his entourage left New York at around 2pm (local time) and are enroute to Jeddah on a Saudi Airlines' flight. The plane is expected to make a technical halt in Jeddah on Sunday at around 8:40 am, The Dawn reported. After a brief stopover in Jeddah, Khan is expected to reach Pakistan on Sunday evening.

On Friday evening, Khan and his delegation had departed from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport on the special jet given by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, during the prime minister's visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
However, the aircraft turned back and made an emergency landing at the New York airport after a technical glitch developed.
Pakistan's envoy to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, who had earlier seen off Khan, rushed back to the airport.
Khan and his entourage waited at the airport for some time as technicians were trying to fix the fault. However, the technicians said that glitch would be rectified by Saturday morning.
Lodhi, meanwhile, had escorted Khan back to the Roosevelt Hotel in the city, where he was staying during his week-long visit to the US for attending the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Officials had remarked earlier that if the plane is not fixed by Saturday morning, Khan would take a commercial flight back to Pakistan.

Imran to be given grand reception in Pakistan
Leaders and the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were set to give Prime Minister Imran Khan an unprecedented welcome at the Islamabad airport.
PTI's chief organizer Saifullah Khan Niazi asked the party workers to reach the New Islamabad International Airport on Sunday as the party would accord Khan with an unprecedented welcome, he said in a tweet.
Senior PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen also took to Twitter to urge the party workers to attend the reception for the Prime Minister who he said had "fought Kashmir cause like a true hero".
"Let's celebrate this win by giving him a hero's welcome tomorrow 5pm at the New Islamabad Airport. Don't forget to be there," he tweeted with a hashtag #WelcomeHomePMIK which trended on Twitter.



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