Iqama holders crowd Punjab’s PIA offices following ticket shortage
Multiple iqama holder across Punjab crowded PIA offices as the date to return to Saudi Arabia edges closer and ticket shortage grows worse.
According to people, they have until September 30 to reach Saudi Arabia, otherwise they will lose their jobs in the Kingdom.
Despite waiting outside the airline’s office for hours, people did not get tickets. “I have been visiting here for the past four days but didn’t get a ticket,” a man working as a labour in Saudi Arabia said, adding that if he did not reach before the deadline he will lose his job.
Multiple iqama holder have also said they are ready to pay higher prices for the tickets. “The quota of travel agents has also finished,” one of them said.
Travel agents, on the other hand, said that previously the ticket fare was Rs75,000 which has now been increased to over Rs100,000. “The airlines don’t even let us sell 10% of the tickets,” a travel agent said.
People have demanded that the government intervene in the matter and help them otherwise they will be unemployed.
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