PIA crash tragedy

Amid the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis, the nation has been struck with another tragedy. A PIA passenger aircraft crashed on Friday near Karachi airport just moments before it was about to land.

There were 91 passengers aboard the ill-fated aircraft and eight crew members. There were all feared dead but miraculously there were two survivors. The death toll could have much higher as the aircraft was operating below capacity to observe social distancing rule due to the pandemic.

Flight operation had resumed after being suspended for several months and these travelers were returning to celebrate Eid. The plane was just a minute away from landing when it crashed in a residential area near the airport reportedly after developing a technical fault. The incident will be ranked among the worst in the country’s aviation history.

There was complete mayhem on the ground and on the screens as speculation was rife about the incident, the rescue operation and survivors. We have a tendency to jump to hasty conclusion and presumption which was on full display. There was blatant lack of concern for the privacy of the victims and their families who were passing through an ordeal.

It was reported that the aircraft was unfit to fly and the national airline has been using obsolete and unsafe planes. It is now being now that plane was commissioned sixteen years and was an assessment was conducted just last month. It is a travesty that both engines and land gear malfunctioned leading to the tragic accident.

These speculations and rumours spread as reports are not released or implemented. It is often blamed on pilot’s error and the routine operation continues. PIA has defended that aircraft was safe and the pilot was well-trained and experienced. The government has called for an inquiry into the incident which remains a long arduous process.

The immediate concern should to provide solace to the grieving families whose lives have been shattered by the loss of loved ones. Once this has done, the nation needs accountability and someone should be held responsible. We have the right to ask for action and demand reformation of the national airlines.

The government needs to conduct a thorough investigation and take the nation into confidence by sharing the facts about the incident. This is certainly a national tragedy which we might easily overcome and its proximity to Eid has diluted the festive occasion. We need to observe Eid this year with simplicity in solidarity with the victims and those affected by the pandemic.