'It's not your time': Survivor recalls final moments of deadly Pakistan plane crash

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Updated 29 March 2021
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'It's not your time': Survivor recalls final moments of deadly Pakistan plane crash

  • Pakistan International Airlines crashed on May 22 during second attempt to land in Karachi, killing 97 people
  • Zafar Masud, president of the Bank of Punjab, is one of two survivors of the deadly crash

KARACHI: The last thing Zafar Masud can remember before he lost consciousness when the plane dived to the ground is a voice from within, saying that his time had not come yet.

Masud, president of the Bank of Punjab, is one of two survivors among the 99 people — 91 passengers and eight crew members — onboard the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane from Lahore that crashed into a residential area of Karachi on May 22 after it failed on approach to the runway.

Masud was not supposed to be on the plane. His booking was for an earlier SereneAir flight, which he skipped, as being a night owl, he thought he might not wake up on time. When he arrived at the Lahore airport, "everything seemed to be in a hurry," he told Arab News in an interview at his residence in Karachi last week. "Everyone seemed to be rushing towards his destination, much faster than it's supposed to be."

Most of the passengers on the PK8303 flight were flying home to meet their families over Eid Al-Fitr after more than two months of coronavirus lockdown. The accident came days after commercial flights resumed ahead of the Muslim holiday.

"The flight was very smooth. But when it tried to land on Karachi airport, the first time there was a bump, it hit, you know, there was a bump at the landing," Masud recalled.

He remembered that the plane hit the runway two more times.

"By the time you could have reacted or, you know, thought about anything. The flight actually took back up again into in the air, which is again, very unusual, at least this is happened to me for the first time."

Initial reports suggested that as it neared landing, the plane’s ground speed was above the runway threshold. It lifted up from the runway surface and crashed over the Model Colony residential area while attempting another approach

"Since I was on the first seat, I don't know what was happening in the plane, the rest of the cabin, but I could see that the air hostesses were panicking. They started reciting Quranic verses," Masud said.

Moments later, he saw the cockpit door opening. "When the cockpit door opened, I could see from the windscreen, that the plane was, it appeared that the plane was nose diving ... I realized that the plane is crashing."

He started speaking to himself as his entire life flashed before his eyes: "I asked my God, God, so the plane is crashing, and I'm dying. I got this voice, literally from inside. My God tells me, 'no, it's not the time, you won't die.' And then I asked him again, I said, God, but you know, it is, it's inevitable. It cannot be avoided. It's crashing. He said, 'yes, the plane is crashing, it's not your time.'"

Then he passed out.

 




A child’s doll lies among the debris at Karachi’s Model Colony, which was the site of an Airbus A320 crash on Friday. May 23, 2020 (AN Photo by S.A. Babar/File)

Masud was told that his seat had as if flown out of the plane onto a house, a bit away from the fuselage that started to burn. People on the ground realized he was alive and helped him up.

"The moment I was put in the ambulance, my first reaction was 'what happened to the rest of the passengers?' That was my first question. And they told me, they don't know." He heard in response that he was the first one rescued.

"There was a lady doctor who came, she dialed the number for me, I remember the number of my mother. But my mother's phone was coming shut for some reasons ... I told her to call my father. I remember his number as well. She called up my father. I spoke to my father who sounded very composed."

Only later did he learn his mother temporarily lost her senses when she heard about the deadly accident. 

Masud escaped with a broken arm and bruises. The other survivor, Muhammad Zubair, a mechanical engineer, suffered burns to his hands and legs. 

The bodies of most of the plane's passengers were charred beyond recognition.

Asked whether the accident and unlikely escape have changed his life, Masud said: "I have no answer why my God let me live" and that he is now "more committed to doing the right thing."

Several months after the deadly crash, he decided to fly again to overcome fear and in late September boarded a flight from Karachi to Lahore, also with PIA.

"I took a very conscious decision, despite extreme opposition from my friends, my family. They did not want me to fly. And even if I fly, they didn't want me to fly on PIA," Masud said.

The flight he took was a return route of the tragic Lahore-Karachi flight.

The flight was fine, he said, until the plane approached Lahore and was preparing to touch down. When Masud saw the ground, he had a flashback from the crash: "It was a split second, it was a flash. But then otherwise, it was all okay."

"I wanted to do that. Because I wanted to alleviate that fear in my mind," he said. "I just wanted to be very clear that life could be normal."


Pakistan eyes $700 million in freight earnings by expanding shipping fleet — maritime ministry

Updated 28 June 2025
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Pakistan eyes $700 million in freight earnings by expanding shipping fleet — maritime ministry

  • PNSC plans to add 24 vessels over three years to expand and modernize the national fleet
  • State shipper earned Rs25 billion between July and March in FY25, down 18 percent year-on-year

KARACHI: The state-run Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is set to buy at least 24 more vessels in the next three years to generate an estimated $700 million in freight earnings, the maritime ministry said on Friday.

Pakistan currently owns 10 ships including five double-hull Aframax oil tankers and as many Supramax and Panamax bulk carriers.

“The national carrier is now targeting to increase its cargo handling to 52 percent by volume and 43 percent by value (excluding containerized cargo) within three years,” the ministry said in a statement.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced the three-year plan in a meeting held in Islamabad to discuss the government’s business strategy to revitalize the maritime and logistics sectors.

The move is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s strategy to renew and expand Pakistan’s aging shipping fleet in a phased manner to enhance cargo capacity, fuel efficiency and compliance with International Maritime Organization standards, including those governing carbon emissions and ballast water management.

The plan, if implemented, would boost the revenues of the national flag-carrier, whose income from shipping business declined 18 percent to Rs25 billion ($88.5 million) in July–March this year compared to the previous one, according to PNSC’s financial results posted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange website.

Muhammad Arshad, the ministry spokesman, told Arab News that Pakistan’s current fleet will be more than doubled with the induction of 13 vessels in the first year.

Eight vessels will be bought in the second year and three in the third, which would take the total to 34 vessels in Pakistan’s fleet by 2028.

“PNSC currently manages approximately 11 percent of the country’s cargo by volume and 4 percent by value,” the ministry said.

During the meeting, the minister proposed deepening collaboration between the PNSC, Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works and local industries for the local manufacturing of modern cargo vessels, oil tankers and container carriers.

“This initiative is expected to create skilled employment, strengthen local supply chains, boost industrial activity and rejuvenate Pakistan’s shipbuilding sector, positioning the country as a regional maritime hub,” it said.

The cash-strapped country plans to finance its modernization efforts without burdening the treasury through leveraging public-private partnerships, maritime leasing models and tapping into global green shipping funds.

The government is trying to revive Pakistan’s debt-ridden economy with the help of the International Monetary Fund and has set a tax revenue target of Rs14.3 trillion ($50 billion) for the next financial year starting July.

Last week, the prime minister directed the authorities to lease new vessels to expand the PNSC’s fleet with an aim to reduce the $4 billion annual foreign exchange burden on sea-based trade.

Pakistan looks to bolster its maritime trade capacity and reduce reliance on foreign shipping lines, which officials say significantly contributes to the country’s widening trade deficit and puts pressure on foreign exchange reserves.


Flash floods in Pakistan’s northwest kill 11 as rains trigger landslides, house collapses

Updated 27 June 2025
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Flash floods in Pakistan’s northwest kill 11 as rains trigger landslides, house collapses

  • PDMA calls Swat the hardest hit area, where flooding, landslides and flash torrents killed 10 people
  • Pakistan is bracing for extreme monsoon season, ramping up efforts to deal with potential calamities

PESHAWAR: At least 11 people, including four children, were killed and six injured after flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains swept through Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), heavy rains caused flooding in the Swat River near Khwazakhela, damaging homes and infrastructure in several areas.

Swat was the worst-affected district, where 10 of the 11 reported fatalities occurred.

“According to the PDMA’s preliminary report, a total of 11 people have died and six others were injured,” the authority said in a statement. “The deceased include four men, three women, and four children, while the injured include three men and three women.”

Residents gather, after tourists, who were on a picnic, were swept away by overflowing floodwaters in the Swat River, in Swat Valley in Pakistan on June 27, 2025. (REUTERS)

“Swat district was the hardest hit, where flooding, landslides and flash torrents killed 10 people and injured six,” it added. “A total of 56 homes were damaged in the affected areas, six of them completely and 50 partially.”

The PDMA statement said its Emergency Operations Center was active and coordinating with district administrations, rescue services and relevant departments.

Flood alerts have also been issued to district administrations in Nowshera and Charsadda in KP, with instructions to implement preemptive safety measures in anticipation of further rainfall.

The statement informed the PDMA has supplied 136 trucks of non-food relief goods to district authorities as part of its monsoon contingency plan.

These include tents, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, blankets, pillows and sleeping bags. An additional Rs450 million ($1.62 million) has been disbursed to local governments for immediate relief and compensation needs.

Monsoon rains in Pakistan often cause widespread flooding and damage, particularly in mountainous northern regions.

Earlier this week, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of heavy rains and flash floods in several parts of the country from June 26 till June 28.

A youngster rides his bicycle on a street during heavy rainfall, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025. (AP)

It advised residents in flood-prone areas, particularly near nullahs, low-lying zones and slopes, to remain alert and avoid unnecessary movement, calling on emergency services to ensure readiness for any potential incidents.

Pakistan is currently bracing for another extreme monsoon season and ramping up efforts to deal with any potential calamity.

Commuters make their way through a flooded street following heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, in Sindh province on June 27, 2025. (AFP)

In 2022, deadly floods brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt killed over 1,700 people and impacted 33 million people in Pakistan. Raging currents swept away homes, vehicles, crops and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.


Pakistan’s top court rules Imran Khan’s party ineligible for reserved parliamentary seats

Updated 27 June 2025
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Pakistan’s top court rules Imran Khan’s party ineligible for reserved parliamentary seats

  • The court sets aside earlier ruling in PTI’s favor, upholds Peshawar High Court verdict
  • Khan’s PTI calls ruling a ‘funeral of justice’ as government welcomes the decision

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top court on Friday ruled the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan is not entitled to reserved seats in the national and provincial legislatures, setting aside an earlier judgment that had granted the party its share.

The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench dismissed all review petitions filed by PTI and allied petitioners, reinstating the Peshawar High Court’s earlier ruling rejecting the allocation of reserved seats to the party.

“The impugned majority judgment dated 12.07.2024 is set aside… and the judgment rendered by the Peshawar High Court, Peshawar is restored,” the short order read.

The dispute about the reserved seats stems from the February 8 general elections, where PTI candidates contested as independents after the party lost its electoral symbol for not holding valid intra-party elections, as required under the Elections Act.

Despite winning the most general seats in the national polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled that PTI was ineligible for reserved seats for women and minorities in parliament, which are allocated based on proportional representation from among the seats won by political parties.

Last year in July, the Supreme Court reversed the ECP’s decision, terming it unconstitutional and ordering the reserved seats to be allocated to PTI.

However, the government subsequently passed amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, in a move widely seen as targeting PTI’s eligibility for reserved seats.

The revised law stipulated that only those candidates who had formally declared their party affiliation before the returning officer — and whose party had submitted lists of nominees for reserved seats within the legal deadline — would be entitled to such allocations.

Since PTI-backed candidates contested the February election as independents, and the party did not submit lists for reserved seats, the amendments effectively barred it from claiming a share.

With Friday’s verdict, the apex court has now ruled that the independents backed by PTI in the February election cannot be treated as party nominees for the purpose of seat allocation.

Responding to the development, Khan’s party described the short order as the “funeral … of justice” in a social media post.

The government, on the other hand, welcomed the decision, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulating its legal team’s “tireless efforts.”

“The decision has upheld the supremacy of the Constitution and law, and ensured correct interpretation of legal provisions,” he said in a statement.

“The opposition should now join the government in playing a constructive role for the country’s development and prosperity,” he added.

The reserved seats in question will now be allocated to other political parties, including Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and its coalition partners.

The top court’s verdict will numerically strengthen the government while dealing yet another blow to Khan’s PTI, which has faced legal and political challenges since the downfall of its administration in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.


Pakistan won’t turn blind eye to allies’ wrongdoing, says deputy PM on US strikes in Iran

Updated 27 June 2025
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Pakistan won’t turn blind eye to allies’ wrongdoing, says deputy PM on US strikes in Iran

  • Ishaq Dar says Pakistan ‘didn’t hesitate or delay’ in condemning US strikes, despite improving ties with Washington
  • The United States launched airstrikes in Iran this month, claiming to have set back Tehran’s nuclear program by years

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday his country did not turn a blind eye to US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this month, adding that close relations with a country do not justify silence in the face of wrongdoing.

The statement came during a news briefing in the federal capital, where Dar spoke to the media about Pakistan’s recent diplomatic engagements, including his participation in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul and the Pakistan-United Arab Emirates Joint Ministerial Commission.

Despite a recent revival in bilateral ties with Washington, Pakistan formally condemned the US strikes in a statement, calling them a violation of international law and affirming Iran’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter.

“Just because relations are good with a country doesn’t mean you should consider something wrong to be right,” he told the media.

“As you witnessed, we didn’t hesitate or delay,” he continued. “I spoke with the foreign secretary, gave a task to the spokesperson and we exchanged draft statements. It’s now a part of the historic record: we criticized the attack, and we did it on record.”

Dar’s remarks came in the wake of a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel that erupted after Israeli strikes targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites, prompting retaliation from Tehran.

The war began while the administration in Tehran was holding nuclear negotiations with the US that later joined the fray, launching its own strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.

While Washington said the attacks had set back Iran’s nuclear program by years, there was international concern over a wider regional war.

Dar said he had been personally involved in formulating the country’s response as Islamabad prepared its official statement.

Pakistan, currently a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), also raised the issue at the world body in New York.


Pakistan approves 10% gas price hike for industry, power plants under IMF conditions

Updated 27 June 2025
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Pakistan approves 10% gas price hike for industry, power plants under IMF conditions

  • ECC spares households in gas price hike, with only fixed charges adjusted to recover costs
  • It also approves grant for defense ministry to cover shortfall in salaries, allowances and dues

KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday approved a 10 percent increase in natural gas prices for industrial users and power plants starting next month, in line with reforms mandated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ensure cost recovery and tariff rationalization, an official statement said.

The decision was taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

While prices for bulk consumers and gas-fired power plants will rise, household consumers will be shielded from the increase.

“To protect household consumers, gas prices will remain unchanged, with only fixed charges revised,” the Finance Division said in a statement released after the meeting. “However, prices for bulk consumers, industrial units and power plants will be increased by an average of 10 percent.”

The statement said the revised pricing structure, submitted by the Petroleum Division, complies with regulatory obligations under the OGRA Ordinance and meets structural benchmarks under Pakistan’s ongoing loan program with the IMF.

It also supports a shift from cross-subsidies to direct, targeted assistance for low-income consumers.

DEFENSE GRANT

The ECC also approved a Rs15.8 billion ($55.3 million) supplementary grant for the Ministry of Defense to cover a shortfall in salaries, allowances and pending dues.

The funding includes disbursements under the prime minister’s compensation package for martyrs of the recent Pakistan-India war fought last month.

In a separate decision, the committee gave in-principle approval to launch a risk coverage scheme for small farmers and underserved regions by August 14.

The program is expected to bring 750,000 new borrowers into the formal credit system and unlock a Rs300 billion ($1.05 billion) agricultural loan portfolio over three years (FY2026-28).

The statement said the total budgetary support for the scheme, covering risk coverage and bank operating costs, is estimated at Rs37.5 billion ($131.25 million), to be disbursed between FY2027 and FY2031.

The government has directed relevant ministries to incorporate additional safeguards before the official rollout.