As fever of hit Turkish series ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ continues to grip Pakistanis ever since it was first aired by PTV on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s directions, a statue of Ertuğrul, father of Osman I — the founder of the Ottoman dynasty –, has been erected in Lahore.
According to a report by Independent Urdu, the statue has been installed in the provincial capital of Punjab’s Maraghzar Colony near Thokar Niaz Baig to honour the Muslim hero.
The statue made of fibre and iron was brought in from Kamalia city of Toba Tek Singh district and other similar sculptures will be erected in other parts of the colony as well, the report said.
Speaking to the media outlet, secretary general of the colony said that they were even planning to name the square, where the statue was installed, after Ertuğrul.
According to Ottoman tradition, Ertuğrul was the son of Suleyman Shah, leader of the Kayı tribe of Oghuz Turks, who fled from western Central Asia to Anatolia to escape the Mongol conquests, but he may instead have been the son of a Gündüz Alp.
The hit Turkish historical fiction ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ that revolves around the life of a group of Turkic nomads in the pre-Ottoman era, has led to Ertuğrul — the protagonist of the series — being hailed a hero by Pakistanis.
A large number of people in Lahore have visited various public parks of the city after they were opened for the general public today.
As per reports, the public parks of the city have been opened after 75-day closure amid coronavirus outbreak in the city.
The people adopted the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the provincial government to curb the virus spread.
On Thursday, the Punjab government had decided to reopen public parks in the provincial capital Lahore from May 5 (today).
The Director-General of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), Muzaffar Khan Sial, had announced that the provincial government decided to reopen public parks in Lahore. The parks will be open from 6 am to 9 pm.
Sial had added that the parks will be reopened under the standard operating procedures (SOPs) finalised by the provincial health department. The citizens will only be allowed to enter into the parks after wearing face masks and gloves.
DG PHA urged the citizens to strictly follow precautionary measures and social distancing while visiting the public parks.
Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and lawmaker Rana Sanaullah was on Wednesday morning intercepted by police off Lahore’s The Mall. He, however, refused to step out of the vehicle and let the officials check it in the absence of media, The Current has learnt.
According to sources, the PML-N stalwart was stopped by the police in the Regal Chowk area of the provincial capital in connection with the arrest of party president and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) since Tuesday had been attempting to arrest Shehbaz in the assets beyond means case against him. The bureau had, however, failed to trace the PML-N chief despite raiding his Model Town and Jati Umra residences among other locations.
Wednesday’s incident took place before a Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench granted pre-arrest bail to Shehbaz till June 17.
“I will not let you check my vehicle in the absence of media because I fear being framed for carrying drugs once again,” Sanaullah, who had earlier been arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), told the cops who stopped him to check if Shehbaz was also present in the vehicle.
The ANF had last year detained the lawmaker after accusing him of carrying a cache of drugs in his vehicle and for “supplying it to drug dealers”.
After months-long incarceration, Sanaullah had been granted bail amid lack of evidence. He had then accused the ANF of planting the drugs in his vehicle for the registration of a “bogus” case against him.
A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) accompanied by police on Tuesday reached the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif to once again arrest him, this time in the assets beyond means case.
Videos available with The Current showed a contingent of police’s anti-rioting force also reaching the PML-N chief’s Model Town residence in Lahore to make the arrest that comes after Shehbaz, being a cancer survivor, once again avoided appearing before the anti-graft watchdog amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The teams, however, had to return empty-handed as the leader of opposition in the National Assembly (NA), who has also sought pre-arrest bail in the case, was not at home.
The teams were headed to the Sharif family’s Jati Umra residence near Raiwind by the filing of this report.
PRE-ARREST BAIL AND THE CASE:
Earlier in the day, Shehbaz filed a bail plea in the Lahore High Court (LHC) to avoid arrest in the assets beyond means and money laundering cases against him, which is to be taken up by the court tomorrow (Wednesday).
NAB had summoned the PML-N president to record his statement in both cases today (June 2) as the bureau needs Shehbaz’s statement to bring the cases to their logical conclusion.
It had also provided the ex-Punjab chief minister (CM) with a detailed questionnaire as per its standard operating procedure (SoPs), which the PML-N says was submitted by the younger Sharif’s lawyers.
However, Shehbaz on Monday filed a petition in the LHC requesting the court to grant him bail before arrest in both the cases “in the interest of justice”. He requested that he might also be admitted to ad-interim pre-arrest bail till the decision of the petition.
The petitions said the power to arrest was permissive and not obligatory and the arrest was not desirable even in most heinous offences so long as the accused cooperated and kept joining the investigation.
According to The Express Tribune, The PML-N president contended that on October 31, 2017, a complaint was made to various authorities including NAB chairman against management of the public limited companies in Punjab. The complaint claimed that the companies were incorporated and operated in violation of the Constitution and law.
On November 15, 2017, NAB director general (DG) ordered an inquiry into the complaint “in a slipshod and mechanical manner, without application of judicious mind”.
On January 10, 2018, the director general passed an order under section 18(C) of NAO 1999 for an inquiry into against management/officers/officials of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), management /owners of M/s Lahore CASA Developers (JV) and officers/officials of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in Lahore’s Ashiana housing scheme.
Shehbaz said the above-said order was passed on the basis of an anonymous complaint and neither the complaint nor the order for inquiry mentioned the name of the petitioner or his office “yet under its cover”, NAB officials embarked upon “a fishing and sniffing expedition” against him.
On October 5, 2018, when Shehbaz appeared before a NAB team in response to call up notice in the matter of Saaf Paani Company but he was arrested in Ashiana case.
During his 64 physical remand, the PML-N chief was also arrested in Ramzan Sugar Mills/Construction of Sullage Carrier case. He was still in NAB’s custody when NAB authorized yet another inquiry against the petitioner and others in assets beyond means case.
Later, the petitioner was granted bail after arrest in both the above said cases but just after one week’s time of his bail, NAB put his name in the Exit Control List (ECL) – the country’s no-fly list.
“The petitioner assailed the above said memorandum February 21, 2019 before this court and his petition was allowed.” He contended that NAB served him another call up notice requiring his appearance before the CIT on April 17, 2020.
Shehbaz said he did not appear before NAB team in view of his ill health and the lockdown. Later NAB again issued call up notice requiring his presence on April 22, 2020.
“However, hectic efforts were made and a comprehensive reply was submitted within time with an assurance of personal appearance after the holy month of Ramazan subject to lifting of the lockdown.”
Later, the petitioner appeared before the CIT whereupon he was interrogated for about 2 hours, however, he could not be confronted with any evidence worth name on record to show any act of commission or omission by him to attract the mischief of any offence under NAO 1999.
“That now the petitioner has again been served with a call up notice for June 2, 2020 requiring his personal appearance and written reply before CIT,” it added.
A summary forwarded to Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar by Primary & Secondary Health Secretary Captain (r) Usman last month estimated that there could be 670,000 cases of the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — in Lahore alone.
The summary was forwarded to Buzdar on May 15, Geo quoted the secretary as saying, and reported that it contained results of samples collected from hotspots, residences and offices in Lahore.
As per the summary, 6 per cent of the total samples collected, tested positive for COVID-19. In some towns, the percentage of positive cases went up to 14.7 per cent. The report said that there wasn’t a single area in Lahore where the infection had not reached.
Members of the Technical Working Group — formed to ascertain the number of coronavirus affected persons in the city — have recommended imposing a complete lockdown for four weeks and quarantining persons aged above 50 years. The group has also advised the government to declare it essential for people to stay inside their homes.
Lockdown restrictions have, however, only been eased since before Eidul Fitr last month.
Amid soaring cases, the Punjab government has decided to further ease lockdown restrictions that were imposed to contain the outbreak. Buzdar last week chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Anti-Coronavirus Measures, wherein it was agreed that recommendations for the opening of the different departments and institutions, according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) defined by the government, would be forwarded to the federal government.
In the meeting, Buzdar said that a request would be made to the federal government to provide 1,500 ventilators. He added the instructions of the federal government regarding opening of restaurants, cafes etc, would be followed by the provincial government.
The Cabinet Committee allowed the Punjab Public Service Commission to conduct interviews of one thousand lady doctors. It was also decided in the meeting that the Drug Regulatory Authority Of Pakistan (DRAP) would be approached for permission to prepare ventilators and respirators at the local level.
It was decided the National Command and Operation Centre ( NCOC ) would take final decision to reopen the parks’ proposal, new working hours for the commercial enterprises and two-day holidays.
The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) has demanded the government to reopen educational institutes in the country from June 1.
As per reports, APPSF office-bearers, teachers and owners of school also took out rallies in various areas of Punjab to protest against shutting down the schools for too long.
The protestors, who raised the slogan of “Education for All”, requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the army chief, the prime minister and the provincial authorities to open the schools on June 1 after issuing the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
In Lahore, the people gathered outside the Civil Secretariat to protest against Punjab Minister for School Education Murad Raas.
“We are unable to pay the teachers,” the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) President Kashif Mirza said at a press conference in Lahore. “We must be allowed to open schools from June 1.”
He described the concept of online education as a “flopped project”.
He further said the closure of schools till July 15 would result in the permanent closure of 50 percent of the private schools and around one million people would lose their jobs. He said even the worst-hit countries were letting educational institutions work.
“We have formulated SOPs following international standards,” he said, suggesting the government to talk with them. He demanded that the government announce a relief package for private schools.
Educational institutes in Pakistan have been closed since March. The measure was taken to curb the spread of coronavirus
The number of reported coronavirus cases in Pakistan has gone to 66,457. The virus has claimed 1,395 lives in the country so far.
As coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country, the Punjab government has decided to allow restaurants to reopen.
The decision was taken during a cabinet committee meeting on coronavirus which was convened on the directives of Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar.
Reportedly, recommendations in this regard have been sent to the federal government and would be presented before the National Coordination Committee (NCC) for final approval.
The committee also decided that markets and shopping malls would be allowed to open from 9 am to 5 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, while on the remain three days, they would remain closed.
The provincial government also recommended opening recreational sites and tourist destinations such as Murree.
The meeting was attended by Law Minister Raja Basharat, Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Commerce Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal.
Officials of the health department also briefed the meeting about the coronavirus situation while administrative agencies presented a report on the implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Earlier, Lahore Restaurants Unity (LRU) and Lahore Super Markets Association (LSMA) sought help from the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) for reopening their businesses with implementation of SOPs.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, along with Senior Vice President Ali Hussam Asghar and Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad, met the delegations of the LRU and LSMA and listened to their grievances.
LRU Chairman Amir Rafiq Qureshi and LSMA President Ahmad Nawaz and Marriage Halls Association Chairman Mian Muhammad Ilyas said that the lockdown had destroyed their businesses to such an extent that they were no heading towards a point of no return.
They said that restaurants and marriage hall owners were ready to follow the SOPs set by the government to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Sheikh said that the LCCI was well aware of the miseries of traders and had already taken up the issues at the highest level. He said that a number of countries, including Turkey, had allowed hotels to open up. “We have to live with coronavirus like various other diseases, therefore, the government should manage and allow businesses to reopen,” he said.
The LRU representatives demanded relief in rents of restaurants located in buildings of government and semi-government departments. They demanded a 100 per cent waiver in utility bills of small restaurants and 50 per cent waiver in utility bills of large restaurants for the next three months.
5 اپریل 2003کی بات ہے، جیو میں میرا پہلا دن تھا۔ ایچ آر ڈپارٹمنٹ سے ابو طالب بھٹو مجھے نیوز روم لے کر گئے اور تھوڑا بہت بتایا کہ کہاں کون سا ڈپارٹمنٹ بیٹھا ہے۔ اور پھر طالب نے مجھے ایک صاحب سے ملوایا اور کہا کہ اب آپ انصار صاحب کے حوالے۔ وہ میری سید انصار علی نقوی سے پہلی ملاقات تھی ۔
میں بہت خوش قسمت رہی کہ مجھے خبروں کی دنیا میں اظہر عباس، ناصر بیگ چغتائی، زاہد حسین، مجدد شیخ، ایم کے عباس جیسے استاد ملے لیکن انگلی پکڑ کر چلنا مجھے انصار بھائی نے سکھایا۔
انصار بھائی نے پہلے تعرف پر مجھے مسکرا کر دیکھا اور کہا “کیسی ہو لڑکی، تیار ہو کام کے لئیے؟”
عام طور سے ہم پہلی مرتبہ ملتے وقت تھوڑا تکلف رکھتے ہیں لیکن ان کے لہجے کی اپنائیت اور نظروں کا خلوص اتنا گہرا تھا کہ میری زبان سے یہی الفاظ ادا ہوئے “میں کام کے لئیے تیار ہوں، آپ سکھانے کے لئیے تیار ہو جائیں، اور میں آپ کو انصار بھائی بلاؤں گی”. وہ اپنے مخصوص انداز سے مسکرائے ، سر اثابت میں ہلایا اور اخبار دے کر کہا کہ پڑھنا شروع کرو۔
بس پھر میں نے پڑھنا شروع کیا اور انھوں نے اسی اخبار کی دوسری کاپی پر مارک کرنا۔ تھوڑی دیر کے بعد انھوں نےاپنا والا اخبار مجھے دیا تو وہ مجھے شرمندہ کرنے کے لئیے کافی تھا۔ لیکن انھوں نے میری غلطیوں کی صرف نشاندہی نہیں کی بلکہ اس کی تصیح بھی کرتے گئے۔
میرا ان کا سترہ سال کا ساتھ تھا ، اتنی یادیں اور باتیں ہیں جنھیں قلم بند کروں تو دیوان ہو جائے۔ تو بس بے ربط جو واقعات یاد آتے جا رہے ہیں، لکھتی جارہی ہوں ۔
انھوں نے مجھے بینا سرور کے پاس بھیجا اور کہا کہ” تمہیں ہم دس پندرہ دنوں میں ہی دبئی بھیجنے والے ہیں، دنیا دیکھی گی تمہیں، ہماری اور اپنے گھر والوں کی عزت رکھنا، اپنے کام اور کردار دونوں سے” وہ ہمیشہ کہتے تھے کہ اچھا اینکر بننے کے لئیے theory بہت ضروری ہے۔
بینا سرور نے مجھے فائلوں کا ایک پلندہ دیا کہ اگلے دن اس میں سے ٹیسٹ ہو گا۔ میں نے انصار بھائی کی جانب ایسے دیکھا کہ پہلے ہی دن دھوبی پٹخا!!!! اور انھوں نے انتہائی صفائی سے نظریں دوسری جانب پھیر لیں، جیسے وہ مجھے جانتے ہی نہیں۔
Typical Ansar Bhai!
واضح کر دوں کہ اس وقت واحد نیوز چینل صرف جیو ہی تھا، خبریں دبئی میڈیا سٹی میں موجود جیو کے اسٹوڈیو سے ہوتی تھیں۔ ندا سمیر (اس وقت ندا فاطمہ) خبریں پڑھتی تھیں اور ندا کا شروع کے دنوں میں کچھ ذاتی وجوہات کی بناپر پر پاکستان میں رہنا ضروری تھا۔ اس وقت کوئی بھی خاتون اینکر اسکرین پر نہیں تھی۔ اس لیے جیو کی کوشش تھی کہ مجھے جلد از جلد آن ائر کر دیا جائے۔ اب اتنے کم عرصے میں ایک گھر سے آئی housewife کو سبق گھول کر ہی پلایا جا سکتا تھا۔ تو یہ مشکل کام انصار بھائی کو سونپا گیا اور انھوں نے بھی رات کے تین تین بجے تک دفتر میں بٹھا کر میرا “ر” “ڑ” ٹھیک کرایا (شکر ہے “ش” “ق” درست تھا میرا)۔
اور یہی نہیں بلکہ رات کے اس پہر جب میں گھر جاتی تو میرے شوہر نامدار کو فون کرکے میری ساری غلطیاں نوٹ کروا چکے ہوتے کہ اب امی بننے کی تمہاری باری ۔
گو کہ جیو میں سب نے مجھے اپنے گھر کا فرد سمجھ کر میری صلاحیتیوں میں اضافے کی کوشش کی، بتایا، سکھایا لیکن مجھے یہ کہنے میں کوئی ہچکچاہٹ نہیں کہ اگر انصار بھائی نے اتنی محنت نا کی ہوتی تو شاید میں شہرت تو کما لیتی لیکن وہ نام اور عزت نہیں حاصل کرپاتی جو آج مجھے حاصل ہے۔۔
میں کراچی چھٹیوں پر آئی ہوئی تھی اور میرا miscarriage ہو گیا تھا۔ الکریم نے ان کو تلاش کر کے صرف انھی کو اطلاع دینا مناسب سمجھا۔ اس سے بڑھ کر ان پر اعتماد اور قربت کی کیا مثال دی جا سکتی ہے؟
جیو کی ابتدا کی ٹیم ایک خاندان کی طرح تھی۔ ہم اب چاہے کسی بھی ادارے میں ہوں، ہمارے دل ایک دوسرے سے اسی خلوص اور محبت سے بندھے ہوئے ہیں۔
مجھے جیو جوائن کئے ڈیڑھ سال ہو چکا تھا، میں دبئی میں ہیbased تھی۔ اور وہاں موجود سب لوگ ایک ہی ہوٹل میں مقیم تھے جسے ہم جیو محلہ کہتے تھے۔ انصار بھائی دبئی کے دفتر کام سے آئے ہوئے تھے۔ لیکن اس عرصے میں، میں اپنے اس نئے خاندان سے خاصی گھل مل گئی تھی۔ تو ہنسی مزاق اور گفتگو بھی بغیر سنسر کے ہوتی تھی۔ کسی کی بات کا جواب دیتے ہوئے میں نے کہہ دیا کہ “پونکا کروں گی”. میری شامت آ ئی کہ انصار بھائی آفس میں پیچھے بیٹھے تھے اور انھوں نے سن لیا۔ اتنی ڈانٹ پڑی مجھے کہ آج تک یہ لفظ دوبارہ نہیں کہا ۔ ان کے غصہ کی وجہ یہ فکر تھی کہ الکریم کیا سوچیں گے کہ کیسا ماحول ہے جیو کا ؟ اس طرح کی زبان استعمال ہوتی ہے ؟اور میرا بیٹا, جو کہ اس وقت دو سال کا تھا, اس کی تربیت پر کیا اثر پڑے گا؟
بتانا یہ چاہ رہی ہوں کہ وہ کام کے ساتھ ساتھ ادارے کے ماحول پر بھی کنٹرول اور نظر رکھتے تھے اور بچوں کی تربیت کو بھی اہمیت دیتے تھے۔ صرف اپنی ذات تک نہیں بلکہ اپنے اطراف کے لوگوں کو بھی balance and ethics in life کی تلقین، ہمیں دل سے اپنا سمجھ کر کرتے تھے۔ وہ ذاتی طور سے ایک family person تھے ۔ ان کے نزدیک فیملی سب سے بڑھ کر تھی اور ہم سب ان کی فیملی ہیں۔
میرے والد کو اس دنیا سے رخصت ہوئے دس سال ہو گئے ہیں۔ انصار بھائی کے جانے پر اتنی ہی تکلیف ہورہی ہے جتنی ابو کے جانے پر ہوئی تھی۔
کہتے ہیں وقت بہترین مرہم ہے، آہستہ آہستہ شاہد یہ درد کم ہوجوئے، آنسو بھی خشک ہو جائیں لیکن انصار بھائی میرے دل اور سوچوں کے اس حصے میں ہمیشہ رہیں گے جہاں میرے ابو رہتے ہیں۔
As we struggle to deal with a global pandemic that has claimed over 1,100 lives in Pakistan alone, an inconsolable tragedy has hit us hard.
A PIA flight from Lahore to Karachi met a tragic fate yesterday. The ill-fated plane’s landing gear reportedly stopped working and when the pilot pulled it up for another round to try and resolve the issue, both its engines failed. The pilot tried to land again — this time in an area near the Jinnah International Airport, but due to the streets being narrow, it hit a mobile tower and crashed.
There were 91 passengers on board and eight crew members. Two passengers miraculously survived while the crew and the rest of the passengers did not make it. All bodies have been recovered and are now being identified through DNA samples, which may take some time. An investigation team has been constituted to probe the accident.
A total of 97 lives have been lost. Both young and old, men and women. Friday’s tragedy of PK8303 crash is something that shook everyone. Messages from around the world poured in — from Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to Indian PM Narendra Modi, world leaders paid their condolences. Our hearts go out to the families, friends and loved ones of those who lost their lives. Eid is usually a happy occasion but with coronavirus and this tragedy, it will be a somber affair in Pakistan this time around.
Pakistan does not have a good record of investigating plane accidents. We hope that there will be a thorough investigation to determine whether the health of the aircraft was satisfactory as well as its maintenance. Aircraft experts are perturbed that so many issues surfaced at the same time — from landing gear malfunctioning to engines that stopped working.
Those 97 lives cannot be brought back, but the least the state can do is honour those who lost their lives, by getting to the bottom of what exactly happened.
We understand that nothing will console the grieving families who lost their loved ones just days before Eid. We cannot even begin to imagine the pain they must be going through. But now it is the state’s responsibility to bring some closure. The Sindh government acted in a responsible manner by not giving out names or numbers of the deceased until they could verify and are still in the process of verifying.
Regular updates from the Sindh Health Department about the rescue and relief operations were also commendable under the face of such a huge tragedy, but a thorough investigation is needed into the response of the district administration as eyewitnesses allege that most people lost their lives to the fire that broke out and rescue teams failed to deal with at the earliest.
The media — by and large — also acted in a responsible manner despite some editorial lapses. On the other hand, social media and Whatsapp groups went rife with rumours, some even giving false hope to families.
Here we must pay tribute to the unsung heroes — those who were at the forefront of the rescue and relief efforts, including the law enforcement agencies and humanitarian organisations like the Edhi Foundation. We cannot thank them enough for working tirelessly.
Life is unpredictable but nothing prepares anyone for a sudden and tragic loss. We pray for the families of those who died in yesterday’s crash.
In yet another tragic chapter of Pakistan’s aviation history, Karachi-bound flight PK8303 of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from Lahore on Friday crashed in a residential area of the port city a bit over a minute away from the airport, and two days before Eid.
A Google Maps screen grab of the distance from the crash site of PIA’s PK8303 to the airport
A majority among the 91 passengers of the ill-fated flight — also carrying seven crew members — was of those who were heading back home to celebrate Eid in Karachi, as the government lifted the ban imposed on domestic air travel to curb the spread of COVID-19.
While a rescue operation is underway and conflicting reports about the number of survivors and fatalities pour in, here’s everything we know so far.
THE FLIGHT AND THE CRASH:
The aircraft, which FlightRadar24.com identified as a 15-year-old Airbus A320, took off from the eastern city of Lahore for Karachi.
“The last we heard from the pilot was that he has some technical problem,” the national carrier’s spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said in a video statement. “He was told from the final approach that both the runways were ready where he can land, but the pilot decided that he wanted to do a go-round.”
Speaking to a foreign media outlet, one senior civil aviation official said it appeared the plane was unable to open its wheels due to a technical fault prior to landing, but it is too early to determine the cause.
“The plane first hit a mobile tower and then crashed over houses,” a witness Shakeel Ahmed said near the site, just a few kilometres short of the airport — in the Jinnah Garden area of Malir’s Model Colony.
A video, purportedly showing Fridays crash, is also doing rounds over mainstream and social media.
CAUSE OF THE CRASH:
While it still remains too early to determine the cause of the crash, an audio clip of the last conversation between the flight’s pilot and the control tower has been released.
The pilot sent a Mayday — emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications — and told controllers the aircraft had lost power from both its engines on its second attempt to land.
After the aircraft reportedly called off an earlier attempt to land and went around for a second attempt, a controller radioed the pilot that he appeared to be turning left, suggesting he was off-course.
The pilot replied, “We are returning back, sir, we have lost engines,” and the controller cleared the plane to land on either of Karachi airport’s two West-Southwest-facing runways.
Twelve seconds later the pilot called “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” and was again cleared to use either runway. There was no further communication from the aircraft.
PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik confirmed that the pilot, in his last words, had said that there was a technical fault with the aircraft. “The pilot was told that both runways were ready for him to land. However, the pilot decided to do a go-around. Why did he do that, due to what technical reason, that we will find out,” he said, before hopping on a plane to Karachi.
While experts say that what actually caused the crash “will only be determined after the black boxes are opened”, it has been learnt that there has been no permanent director general for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the past two years.
POSSIBLE SURVIVORS AND FATALITIES?
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Bank of Punjab (BoP) President and CEO Zafar Masud as well as Urban Unit CEO Khalid Sherdil were also on the ill-fated flight that crashed in Karachi, seats 1C and 1F, respectively.
According to reports, Masud was shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Malir Cantt, where he is receiving treatment and is said to be out of danger. There was no word on Sherdil by the time this report was filed.
As per various unconfirmed reports, anywhere between 14 to 40 passengers have survived. Dozens of others, however, are feared dead, which also include locals who are said to be buried under debris of their houses, or lost their lives due to the fire that broke out following the crash.
A rescue operation is underway and the military has also rushed to the aid of civilian authorities.
Update #PIA Incident: Army Quick Reaction Force & Pakistan Rangers Sindh troops reached incident site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration. Details to follow.
Update #PIA Incident: To speed up relief & rescue efforts, Army Urban Search & Rescue Team with special equipment & rescue specialists flown from Rwp. 10 fire tenders at site have extinguished fire. Military ambulances busy in rescuing injured & providing necessary medical care.
Military’s assistance to speed up relief and rescue efforts in the densely populated area was announced by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
PRESIDENT, PM REACT TO CRASH:
As condolences pour in, President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan have offered their condolences to the families of the victims while also praying for the safety and earliest recovery of the survivors.
The premier has ordered an investigation into the tragedy as well.
Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash. Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi & with the rescue & relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now. Immediate inquiry will be instituted. Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased.
“Shocked and saddened by the PIA crash. Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi and with the rescue and relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now [sic],” he tweeted, announcing that an immediate inquiry would follow.
