Pakistan International Airlines to restart commercial flights to Kabul from Monday

The Taliban have been trying to restart the airport with Qatari assistance

A Taliban fighter stands guard at Kabul airport. Karim SAHIB / AFP

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume flights to Kabul from Islamabad next week, becoming the first foreign commercial service since the Taliban took power.

"We have got all technical clearances for flight operations," AFP quoted PIA's spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan as saying. The service would depend on demand.

Kabul airport was severely damaged during a chaotic evacuation of more than 120,000 people that ended with the withdrawal of US forces on August 30. The Taliban have been scrambling to get it operating again with Qatari technical assistance.

"We have received 73 requests, which is very encouraging ... from humanitarian relief agencies and journalists," Mr Khan said.

In the past two days, Qatar Airways has operated two charter flights out of Kabul, carrying mostly foreigners and Afghans who could not leave during the evacuation.

An Afghan airline resumed domestic flights last week.