Fakhr-e-Alam granted visa after brief detention at Russian airport
I am now preparing the airplane and ready to go to Petropavovask airport, said Alam
October 30, 2018
Pakistani singer and activist Fakhr-e-Alam, who was detained at Russian airport Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk a day earlier, has been granted a new visa enabling him to continue his "Mission Parwaz".
Alam took to Twitter and said, "I have just received a new visa. I am now preparing the airplane and ready to go to Petropavovask airport. Thank you to all of my friends, well wishers the Pakistan government and the Russian authorities. The flag continues its journey."
He also thanked the people of Pakistan and the Pakistani media. "I continue to fly my flag to complete the first ever Pakistani circumnavigation #MissionParwaaz," he added.
A day earlier, actor Faysal Qureshi took to Facebook to post a message on behalf of Alam. “Message from Fakhr-e-Alam. Bro, please tweet on my behalf. I am being detained at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk airport because my visa expired two hours and date changed,” the post read.
“They are forcing me to turn back to Japan. I cannot go to Japan because I had a single entry visa. I appeal to the Pakistan government to request Russian government to allow me to continue my journey to Alaska,” Qureshi further wrote.
The post continued, “I don't want to give up Mission Parwaaz. I need Pakistan's support to carry on our flag to finish this. I have been in a room without food or water. No Wi-Fi. They didn't give me my phone for six hours. I NEED HELP.”
A Foreign Office spokesman had said they were looking into the matter and had "directed the Pakistani embassy in Russia to help Fakhar-e-Alam".
Alam is currently is attempting to circumnavigate the globe as part of his "Mission Parwaaz".
The 28-day tour which kicked off in Clearwater, Florida on October 10 will take Alam to 32 countries.
From Florida, the 42-year-old had flown to Boston and then to the Canadian Airbase in Goose bay Canada and then to Greenland.
From Greenland, Alam flew to Iceland, United Kingdom, Egypt and then to Bahrain and then Dubai.
From Dubai, the singer flew to Karachi and then Islamabad and Lahore. From Lahore, he flew to Dhaka, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta and then Darwin in Australia.
Other countries where he will be making a pit stop included Philippines, Taiwan, South Japan, North Japan, the Pacific Bay, Russia and Alaska and then back to the US.
