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Date:
January 20, 1978
Aircraft
Type: Fokker F27 Friendship Mark 400
Registration:
AP-ALW
Crew:
6 on board (Cockpit
crew names at the bottom of this page)
Passengers:
36 on board
Total
on board: 42
Number
of hijackers: 1
Victims:
0
Flight:
Sukkur - Karachi
Flight
number: PK-543
Description:
At 9:45 AM on January 20, 1978, AP-ALW departed from Sukkur
Airport as scheduled PIA flight PK-543 to Karachi. Near the end
of breakfast service the hijacker got up from his seat and entered
the cockpit. Armed with a revolver and dynamite stick he ordered
cockpit crew to divert flight to India. The flight captain told
the hijacker that the aircraft did not have enough fuel for
flight to India and it could land at Karachi only.
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Fokker F27
Friendship Mark 400 (Abbas
Ali
Collection) |
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Hijacked AP-ALW sitting on aircraft parking bay number
17 at Karachi Airport on January 20, 1978 |
Karachi Airport was
informed about hijacking at 10:30 AM and the hijacked Fokker
landed at that airport at 10:55 AM. The aircraft was parked on
bay number 17 some distance away from terminal building of the
airport. The aircraft was surrounded by security personnel
including some who hid themselves in bushes near the parking
bay.
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Fokker F27
Friendship Mark 400 (Abbas
Ali
Collection) |
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Hijacked AP-ALW sitting on aircraft parking bay number
17 at Karachi Airport on January 20, 1978 |
The first person to
contact the hijacker was Chairman PIA Air Marshal (Retd) Malik
Nur Khan who went up to the aircraft and communicated with
hijacker through opened cockpit window. The hijacker said that
he was suffering from cancer and demanded 10 million Pakistan
rupees and 1 million US dollars both in cash for the release of
passengers and crew. The hijacker said he needed this money to
enjoy last days of his life cut short by cancer. During
negotiations Nur Khan told the hijacker that PIA can make
arrangements for treating his disease. Nur Khan also offered
himself to be kept as hostage in the aircraft in exchange for
the release of passengers and crew. The hijacker rejected those
offers.
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Fokker F27
Friendship Mark 400 (Abbas
Ali
Collection) |
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Hijacked AP-ALW sitting on aircraft parking bay number
17 at Karachi Airport on January 20, 1978 |
The hijacker set a
deadline to blast the aircraft along with hostages by 3:00 PM.
The authorities informed the hijacker that banks were closed
because it was Friday - a weekly holiday in Pakistan at that
time - so it was not possible to arrange cash money demanded by
him.
In the evening, the
hijacker allowed supply of food and water for hostages in the
aircraft. By the start of night time, a total of 14 passengers
and an air hostess had been freed by the hijacker. The hijacker
released them at different times. The first of them - a woman -
was freed around 12:00 PM.
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Fokker F27
Friendship Mark 400 (Abbas
Ali
Collection) |
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Hijacked AP-ALW sitting on aircraft parking bay number
17 at Karachi Airport on January 20, 1978 |
The hijacker sent
a message to authorities that he wanted to talk to some
important person. In response, Nur Khan accompanied by a
Pakistan Army officer came closer to the aircraft. The
hijacker allowed Nur Khan to enter the aircraft around 11:50
PM. After nearly an hour of talks, around 12:50 AM Nur Khan
attempted to snatch revolver from the hijacker in close
confines of F27 cabin. In the ensuing struggle, Nur Khan was
shot in the side at point-blank range by the hijacker. By
that time, Nur Khan was on top of the hijacker, who was then
overpowered by the crew of F27.
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Chairman PIA
Malik Nur Khan (Abbas
Ali
Collection) |
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Chairman PIA Air Marshal (Retd) Malik Nur Khan
recovering from bullet wound at Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS)
Shifa hospital in Karachi. The bullet fired by hijacker
had got lodged about a centimeter from Nur Khan's spine |
Nur Khan recovered
rapidly from his dangerous wound, and had the distinction of
adding the Hilal-e-Shujaat - Pakistan's highest civil award
- to the Hilal-e-Jur'at which he had been awarded after the
1965 Pakistan-India war during which he led Pakistan Air Force. Nur Khan is the only Pakistani citizen to have
been awarded both these decorations.
The arrested hijacker was
identified as Nazir hailing from Mianwali, Pakistan.
Cockpit crew of hijacked PIA
Fokker F27 Friendship Mark 400 (AP-ALW):
| Cockpit Crew: |
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| Captain Khaldoon Ghani |
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| First Officer Kadir
Gabol |
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