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SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines' tri-weekly direct flight from Pakistan landed at Changi Airport on Sunday – the first since the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto on Thursday.
Among the passengers were many who had to cut short their stay in the country amidst rising instability.
For these returning travellers from Pakistan, the relief in seeing their families again was unmistakable.
One of them told Channel NewsAsia that violence on the streets of Karachi made it dangerous to be outdoors.
Asad Taqi said: "My cousin got mugged and another one almost got shot. A relative of one of my friends witnessed someone killed in front of him."
A family waited for nearly 10 hours at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi before getting seats on a flight back.
The lady said: "From 1pm to 11pm. It was not safe to go out so we didn't, and no taxi was available in any case because the petrol stations were closed."
Another traveller described the moment when news of Benazir Bhutto's death broke out.
"I was very scared. I was in a market and suddenly I saw a lot of people running towards us in fear," she said.
The travellers said the situation in the airports of Karachi and Lahore remains fairly stable and under control.
Most airlines have no plans to change their flight schedules to and from Pakistan in view of the current situation.
- CNA/so
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