Khawaja Saad Rafique Slams Authorities After Airport Traffic Blockage Causes Missed Flights

ISLAMABAD: Senior political leaders and dozens of passengers faced severe disruption after sudden traffic blockades on routes leading to Islamabad International Airport, reportedly causing multiple missed flights.

According to reports, travel routes to the airport were unexpectedly sealed by Rawalpindi police, leading to long queues of stranded vehicles and chaos on airport roads. Among those affected were Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Asad Qaiser and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Asad Qaiser was reportedly stopped while traveling to the airport for a scheduled flight to Skardu, while Khawaja Saad Rafique also missed his flight due to the traffic disruption.

In a strongly worded reaction, Khawaja Saad Rafique criticized the situation, stating that he had arrived at the airport on time for his flight but was unable to proceed due to what he described as an unjustified and unexplained blockade by police. He further alleged that despite the situation being visible at the airport gates, the airline closed boarding early, resulting in at least 13 passengers missing their flight.

He also described scenes of distress outside the airport, saying that hundreds of passengers, including women, children, and elderly individuals, were left waiting in extreme heat, while several other flights were also affected.

The former federal minister questioned the handling of the situation and rejected explanations suggesting security-related reasons, saying that passengers suffered unnecessary inconvenience and disruption to their travel plans.

Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the cause of the traffic restrictions.