Only two survivors as PIA plane crashes in Karachi with 99 on board 

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Updated 02 June 2020
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Only two survivors as PIA plane crashes in Karachi with 99 on board 

  • Airbus jet crashed into a residential neighborhood on Friday killing 97 passengers and injuring several residents
  • Seconds before the crash, the pilot told air traffic controllers he had lost power in both engines

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: A 16-year-old A320 Airbus flying from Lahore to Pakistan’s financial hub of Karachi plunged into a residential area near the Karachi airport on Friday, killing 97 of 99 people on board, a spokesperson for the provincial health department said early Saturday morning.

In a Twitter post, Sindh health department media coordinator Meeran Yousuf said only two passengers on board the Pakistan International Airlines 8303 flight had survived, adding that 66 bodies had been taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and 31 to Civil Hospital Karachi. Only 19 bodies had been identified thus far, Yousuf said. 

Murtaza Wahab, a spokesman for the Sindh government, said DNA would be needed to identify the victims, urging family members to come forward and provide samples.

A notification from the Aviation Division seen by Arab News said a special team had been formed by the federal government to investigate the incident and was required to furnish a preliminary statement within a month and a full report in the “shortest possible time.”

Ghulam Rasool Khosa, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, told Arab News two people had survived the jet crash but declined further details.

“Those injured on board and due to crash went to different hospitals so it is hard to identify who is a surviving passenger,” Saeed Ghani, a senior minister in the Sindh cabinet, told Arab News. “But two people who we could talk to [and who are alive] have confirmed to us that they were on board.”




In this photo released by the Sindh Press Information Department, Pakistani provincial minister Saeed Ghani, second from right, meets Mohammad Zubair who survived a plane crash, at a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, May 22, 2020. An aviation official says a passenger plane belonging to state-run Pakistan International Airlines carrying passengers and crew has crashed near the southern port city of Karachi. ((Sind Press Information Department, via AP)

Pakistan resumed domestic flights just this week after shutting them down in March amid the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the passengers on the PK8303 flight were flying home to meet their families over the Eid Al-Fitr holiday after over two months in lockdown.

“The plane … took off from Lahore airport at 1.00 p.m. and approached Karachi airport at the scheduled time,” Abdul Sattar Khokhar, senior joint secretary at the Aviation Division, told Arab News. “The pilot made a mayday call at 2.39 p.m. and the plane crashed at the same time in a residential area close to the airport.”

Khokhar said it would be “premature” to comment on the reasons that caused the jet to crash but said a committee headed by Air Commodore Usman Ghani had been set up to investigate the matter.

Pakistan Prime Minister issued a Twitter statement expressing condolences to the families of those who died, saying: “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.”

Rescue officials said they initially faced difficulty in reaching the crash site because of the area’s congested streets and the presence of huge crowds of people who had gathered in the neighborhood. But police officers and soldiers from the Pakistan Army’s Quick Reaction Force and the paramilitary Rangers quickly dispersed crowds and cordoned off the locality, allowing rescue officials to fight through thick smoke and flames to find survivors amid the wreckage.

Pakistani news television channels showed buildings and cars on fire at the site of the crash, and charred bodies being pulled out from the mangled fuselage. Firefighters and Edhi Foundation volunteers could be seen hosing down the debris of the plane and surrounding buildings that had caught fire.

Devastated family members mourned and wailed at the airport and near the crash area, trying to find out if their relatives had survived.

Witnesses reported the plane plummeting down, and said its rear end hit the ground first.

Muhammad Adil, a resident of Malir area’s Model Colony, said he was offering Friday prayers at a nearby mosque when he heard a huge blast.

“I ran to the street and saw the plane had crashed after damaging most of the houses,” Adil told Arab News, describing parts of the plane strewn across the neighborhood. “I couldn’t see the injured and the dead as law enforcement agencies pushed us from the area and cordoned it.”

Footage on Pakistan’s Geo News showed rescue officials pulling Zafar Masud, the CEO of the Bank of Punjab, out of the wreckage alive. A spokesperson for Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah confirmed that Masud was recovering at a Karachi hospital.

A top Pakistani model, Zara Abid, was also confirmed to be on the flight. Her last post on the popular photo-sharing site Instagram, from three days ago, showed her inside a small plane, with the caption: “Fly high, it’s good.”

Pakistan’s Geo News reported that a part of the plane’s black box, the quick access recorder, had been recovered and handed over to Civil Aviation Authority officials. The recorder provides raw flight data and a record of conversations held in the cockpit.

Friday’s air crash brought back memories of the last major plane crash in Pakistan, in 2016, when a plane carrying 47 people crashed into a mountain in northern Pakistan.

In 2010, a 10-year-old Airbus A321 operated by the then relatively new Pakistani airline, Airblue, crashed in fog and intense rain in the Himalayan foothills near Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board in the country’s deadliest domestic plane crash.

In July 2006, a Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff in the eastern city of Multan, killing all 45 people aboard, including two judges from the Lahore High Court, two brigadier generals of the Pakistani Army and a university vice chancellor.

Right before Friday’s crash, the pilot of the jet sent a Mayday and told controllers the aircraft had lost power from both its engines on its second attempt to land, Reuters reported, quoting monitoring website liveatc.net
Listen to Live ATC (Air Traffic Control) Communications | LiveATC.net
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“Sir, we are proceeding back. We have lost engines,” the pilot said in the recording.

After the control tower told the pilot he was clear to land, the reply came: “mayday, mayday.”

After the crash, questions and criticism immediately surfaced about the quality and maintenance of the aging airplanes used by PIA, the country’s main carrier.

Senior pilot and spokesman of the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association, Tariq Yahya, said he and his colleagues had feared such an accident was on the cards as many PIA planes had outlived their age.

“In the end it seems there was no power in the plane,” Yahya said. “The plane was gliding along and couldn’t make it to the runway … It crashed very short of the runway, which is so unfortunate.”

To inquire about the plane crash or passenger details, the government has supplied the following phone numbers: 02199242284, 02199043766, 02199043833.

Aamir Saeed contributed reporting from Islamabad


Pakistan invites scientists, students to pitch experiments for mission to Chinese space station

Updated 04 April 2025
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Pakistan invites scientists, students to pitch experiments for mission to Chinese space station

  • The country’s space agency has partnered with China to send first Pakistani astronaut to space
  • The mission is expected take place by late 2026 following the completion of astronaut training

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency on Friday invited scientists, researchers and students to contribute to the country’s first-ever human spaceflight mission by submitting proposals for innovative experiments to be conducted aboard a Chinese space station.
Earlier this year in February, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) signed a cooperation agreement with China, paving the way for a Pakistani astronaut to travel to the Tiangong space station.
The mission is expected to take place by the end of 2026 following the completion of astronaut training.
“As Pakistan’s first astronaut prepares to undertake a historic journey to the Chinese Space Station (CSS), the national space agency calls for proposals for innovative experiments to be conducted in the extreme thermal, complete vacuum and microgravity environment of the CSS to maximize the scientific impact of this mission,” SUPARCO said in an official statement.
“This is a significant chance for Pakistan’s scientific community and emerging scientists and engineers to contribute to the nation’s space journey and make a lasting impact on the future of space exploration,” it added.
The statement said the Chinese space station orbits the Earth at an altitude of around 380 kilometers, completing one revolution every 92 minutes at a speed of approximately 7.7 kilometers per second.
The space station features state-of-the-art facilities, including specialized experiment racks for research in life sciences, biotechnology, fundamental physics, fluid dynamics, material science and astrophysics.
The Pakistani agency particularly encouraged proposals in agriculture and medical sciences, noting the potential of microgravity to generate groundbreaking insights in those fields.
“Proposed experiments should be novel, cost-effective, lightweight and feasible within a week in microgravity,” it said. “Submissions must align with CSS research priorities, be unique, and support sustainable development goals.”
SUPARCO highlighted the selected experiments could lead to high-impact scientific publications, patents or commercial applications, emphasizing the project’s potential to contribute to socio-economic development.
The deadline to submit proposals is April 30.


Trafficking of NATO, Soviet arms continues in Afghanistan, Pakistan years after Taliban takeover — report

Updated 04 April 2025
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Trafficking of NATO, Soviet arms continues in Afghanistan, Pakistan years after Taliban takeover — report

  • While weapons management practices have improved over the past three years, their application remains inconsistent across Afghan provinces and communities, monitor says
  • The statement comes months after Islamabad voiced ‘profound concern’ over the presence of advanced US weapons in Afghanistan amid a surge in militancy in Pakistan’s border areas

ISLAMABAD: Trafficking and illegal sale of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Soviet arms have continued in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s border regions more than three years after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul and their seizure of the previous regime’s stockpiles, a Geneva-based monitor Small Arms Survey has said in its recent report.
The report, titled “Documenting Arms Availability in Afghanistan,” said as of August 2021, Afghanistan had 258,300 rifles, including M4, M16 and AK-variants, 64,300 pistols, 63,000 sniper rifles, 56,155 light, medium and heavy machine guns, 31,000 grenade launchers, 9,115 shotguns, 1,845 rounds of 60-82mm, as well as hundreds of thousands of accessories and munitions.
The paper reviewed field investigations conducted from 2022 to 2024 into the availability and prices of small arms, light weapons, accessories, and ammunition at informal markets in the Afghanistan–Pakistan border areas. It found that cross-border trafficking was more of a “slow drip” than a flood, with both newer NATO- and older Soviet-pattern weapons still accessible in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces and Pakistan’s tribal districts.
While weapons management practices have improved over the past three years, their application remains inconsistent across provinces and communities, with institutional weaknesses, including limited technical capacity and reliance on paper-based systems, undermining the Taliban’s control efforts, according to the report. Diversion to illicit markets and the “deliberate provision of weapons to various non-state armed groups” remain significant concerns.
“More than three years after the Taliban’s takeover and their seizure of the previous regime’s weapons stockpiles, the de-facto authorities have strengthened control over commanders and restricted civilians’ and private businesses’ access to arms,” the report, published late last month, read.
“Arms trafficking has continued — likely with at least the tacit approval of low-level Taliban officials — and evidence suggests the continued arming of UN Security Council-designated terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda, alongside efforts to acquire conventional weapons systems on international markets.”
Many local commanders in Afghanistan view weapons obtained during the insurgency as personal property, or property of their respective fighting group, and therefore resist efforts to register and manage these arms centrally, according to the report.
Additionally, internal divisions within the Taliban, along with the personal networks of commanders, provide informal pathways to acquire weapons, bypassing formal approval processes. These challenges led to significant variations in control practices from province to province based on the influence of local commanders and their relationship with Afghan central authorities.
“When comparing prices in Pakistan with those in Afghan border provinces, US M4 rifles cost between USD3,325 and USD 3,700 in Pakistan, making them cheaper than in Khost and Nangarhar on the Afghan side but slightly more expensive than in Kunar, Paktia, and Paktika,” it read.
“In general, the wide variety in price is likely indicative of the condition of the weapons and their origin; sophisticated replicas may have also accounted for some of the lower-priced models. M16 rifles, however, are significantly less expensive in Pakistan, at an average price of between USD1,245 and USD1,400, compared to USD1,824–3,065 in Afghanistan... Conversely, Russian AK-pattern rifles are notably more expensive in Pakistan.”
In Jan. this year, Pakistan voiced “profound concern” over the presence of advanced US weapons in Afghanistan, which Washington has sought to be returned by Kabul’s Afghan Taliban rulers.
“The presence of US advance weapons in Afghanistan, left behind in the aftermath of the withdrawal of its troops in August 2021, has been an issue of profound concern for the safety and security of Pakistan and its citizens,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
“These weapons have been used by terrorist organizations, including the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan], to carry out terrorist attacks in Pakistan.”
The statement came months after Pakistani security officials said custom authorities had seized a large cache of US-made weapons and ammunition worth approximately Rs35 million ($125,000) at a border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The weapons seized at the Torkham border crossing in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province included M4 rifles and magazines, security sources said in Oct. last year.
Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, or the TTP, and the state broke down in November 2022.
The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months. In 2024 alone, the Pakistani military reported that 383 soldiers and 925 militants were killed in various clashes.
Islamabad has frequently blamed the surge in militancy on Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.


Pakistan stock market hits record intraday high, closes slightly lower on profit-taking

Updated 04 April 2025
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Pakistan stock market hits record intraday high, closes slightly lower on profit-taking

  • Analysts attributed the bullish sentiment at the start of trading to power tariff cuts announced a day earlier
  • Last week, Pakistan reached a staff-level IMF agreement after the first review under the $7 billion loan program

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) hit an all-time high during intraday trade on Friday but closed slightly lower as investors opted for profit-taking ahead of the weekend.

The benchmark KSE-100 index surged by as much as 1,858.56 points to a record 120,796.67 during the morning session. However, the index later pared gains and ended the day at 118,791.66 points, down 146.45 points, or 0.12 percent, from the previous close of 118,938.11.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attributed the bullish momentum to investor confidence in his government’s economic policies.

“Positive trend in business at the Pakistan Stock Exchange reflects growing confidence of traders and investors in government’s economic policies,” he said in a statement, citing recent economic measures.

“A major reduction in electricity tariffs has been made, which will not only provide relief to domestic consumers, but it is also welcoming for the business community and industries,” he added.

On Thursday, the government announced a cut of more than Rs7 in domestic and industrial power tariffs. The gains also followed a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week on the first review of Pakistan’s $7 billion loan program.

Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of Arif Habib Corporation, said the tariff relief and a year-on-year drop in the consumer price index to 0.7% in March had raised expectations of an interest rate cut, contributing to the bullish trend.

“Institutional support on the IMF deal and speculations over the government negotiations on [US President Donald] Trump tariff played a catalyst role in bullish activity at the PSX,” he said while explaining the early market bullish sentiment.

Raza Jafri, head of research at Intermarket Securities, noted that Pakistani equities had been performing well since the Eid al-Fitr break, in contrast to global markets, due to local policy developments.

“Domestic developments such as the ongoing IMF program and cut in electricity tariffs seem to hold more importance for Pakistan, which is relatively insulated from global developments and arguably a net beneficiary if the reduction in international oil prices more than offsets the impact on exports,” he said.

Despite the strong start, analysts said the late pullback reflected investor caution heading into the weekend, with many opting to lock in profits after a sharp early rally.


Pakistan Super League 10th edition tickets go up for sale online

Updated 04 April 2025
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Pakistan Super League 10th edition tickets go up for sale online

  • The Twenty-20 tournament is set to begin from Apr. 11 and will feature over 30 matches
  • Online tickets can be collected from designated TCS pick-up centers or delivered to home

ISLAMABAD: Online sale of tickets for the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) began on Thursday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.
The 10th edition of the PSL beginning on Apr. 11 will host 34 matches in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan, with the final scheduled for May 18 at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium.
This season will feature top local and international players, following the usual format with group stages and knockout rounds, according to the PCB.
Tickets booked online can be collected from designated TCS pick-up centers or delivered directly to home.
“HBL PSL X tickets online sale has commenced from 3pm PKT today as the marquee event is all set to begin from Apr. 11,” the PCB said in a statement on Thursday.


Physical tickets for the tournament will go up for sale at designated TCS centers across the country at 4pm on Apr. 7 onwards, according to the board.
The stadium seating for each match is divided into four categories: General Enclosure, Premium, First-Class and VIP Stands, along with the exclusive HQSP PCB Gallery.
Ticket prices start at $2 (Rs650) for the general category. Regular match tickets can go up to $21 (Rs6,000) for VIP categories, while playoffs and finals may cost as much as $35 (Rs10,000) for VIP stands.
The PCB said it will also hold a ticket raffle at every match, with exciting prizes such as motorcycles, smartphones and gift hampers to enhance fan engagement and offer a unique match-day experience.


PM Sharif forms committee to probe Pakistan’s failure to utilize Hajj 2025 private quota

Updated 04 April 2025
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PM Sharif forms committee to probe Pakistan’s failure to utilize Hajj 2025 private quota

  • Committee to probe why Kingdom’s Hajj policy was not implemented by Pakistan’s religion ministry through private Hajj operators
  • Inquiry committee would also ‘fix the responsibility for this serious lapse, depriving thousands of Pakistani pilgrims from Hajj 2025’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a three-member inquiry committee to investigate why Pakistan had failed to utilize the private Hajj 2025 quota by not complying with certain requirements of the Kingdom’s Hajj policy, a notification by the Cabinet Division said on Thursday.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Hajj Agreement 2025 in January, according to which 179,210 Pakistanis were expected to perform the annual pilgrimage this year. The quota was divided equally between government and private schemes.
However, the South Asian country failed to fully avail the private Hajj quota and the inquiry committee, led by the Cabinet Division secretary, would investigate the reasons behind the lapse. The probe panel also includes the chairman of Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Gilgit-Baltistan chief secretary.
“The Prime Minister, while taking serious notice for non-availing of the private Hajj quota for Hajj-2025 due to non-compliance of the requirements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been pleased to constitute an inquiry committee on ‘Hajj Arrangements,’” the notification said, without specifying the number of private Hajj scheme seats that could not be filled.
It said the committee’s terms of reference would include inquiring why Saudi Arabia’s Hajj policy, revised in 2025, was not implemented by Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony through private Hajj operators.
The notification said the committee would also probe the ministry’s efforts to get the pre-requisite formalities completed by private Hajj operators by the target date set by the Kingdom.
The committee would also “fix the responsibility for this serious lapse, depriving thousands of Pakistani pilgrims from Hajj 2025,” it added.
Speaking to a private news channel, Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Ashrafi praised Sharif’s move, describing it as a “step in the right direction.”
“Due to this, matters related to private Hajj pilgrims will improve in future and the current situation will also come to light, as to what happened and why did the delay take place,” Ashrafi told Express News. 
In January, the Pakistani prime minister had chaired a meeting to review Hajj 2025 preparations, during which he had warned officials the government would not tolerate any negligence in their duties related to the annual pilgrimage.