Pakistan faces humiliation after airplane seized in Malaysia -

Islamabad: Sensation was created in Pakistan after an airplane of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was seized on landing in Malaysia. Payments for the airplane, taken on lease for the PIA, had not been made. Therefore, this airplane was seized; the Pakistani passengers on board the aircraft were detained in Malaysia. Criticism has started in Pakistan that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his irresponsible Ministers are responsible for this humiliation faced by Pakistan, on the international level. The Pakistani Civil Aviation Minister confessed that the PIA could not make payments in view of the Coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, a Boing 777 of the PIA landed on the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia. But the PIA had taken this airplane on lease from one company. But PIA did not bother about clearing the outstanding dues. A British court had ordered the seizure of the airplane, as soon as it landed at any airport, as the PIA did not pay the outstanding amounting to USD 14 million. Accordingly, the Malaysian agencies seized the airplane on Friday.

The passengers were asked to deplane and they were sent to a hotel. Pakistani news channels criticised that this becomes a major humiliation of Pakistan. The Pakistan media blamed that the Pakistan’s humiliation, a Nuclear state, is entirely because of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his irresponsible Ministers. The Pakistani journalists are saying that the reaction given by Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the Civil Aviation Minister of Pakistan, regarding this humiliating incident, is more infuriating. PIA has leased two airplanes from a company. But PIA was unable to pay the outstanding dues of these airplanes to the company. A case regarding this subject is going on in the London court. Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that the Malaysian agencies took this action without hearing the Pakistani side. Ghulam Sarwar Khan added that Pakistan would be submitting its position in the courts in London and Malaysia and help of the lawyers from these countries will be taken for this purpose.

Meanwhile, Pakistan media are commenting that Malaysia’s action, an ally of Pakistan, without any forewarning, becomes significant. At the same time, China, the closest ally of Pakistan, has also stopped flights from Pakistan, citing the Coronavirus pandemic issue. Whereas, Iran also has threatened to revoke permission for Pakistani airplanes to pass through the Iranian airspace.