FLIGHT 544 - Time Is Running Out
On May 25, 1998, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 544, a Fokker F27, was hijacked shortly after takeoff from Gwadar Airport. Three armed men belonging to the Baloch Students Organization seized the plane with 33 passengers and 5 crew onboard.
The hijackers initially demanded that the plane be flown to New Delhi, India. The aircraft eventually landed in Hyderabad, Pakistan, where a tense standoff ensued for seven hours, with negotiations with authorities, refueling requests, and the release of a crew member marking the dramatic hours.
Ultimately, Pakistan’s Special Service Group successfully stormed the plane, capturing all hijackers. No lives were lost during the incident, however.
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25th may 1998, hijacking of PIA flight 544: The conspiracy to stop Pakistan from performing nuclear test to be held on 28th may 1998. But how intelligently Pakistan’s civil officers and military personnel controlled the situation and foiled the hijacking.
Episode 1
With the lives of the passengers at stake, the hijacker continuously threatened the pilot, demanding compliance or facing being shot. Despite the dangerous situation, the flight captain (Capt. Uzair Khan) remained unafraid and played a crucial role in thwarting the hijacking with great presence of mind.
Episode 2
As the plane landed at Hyderabad airport and its gate opened, all the civil and military officers at the airport were on high alert. The hijackers believed they had landed in Bhuj, India, but it was actually a trap set by the pilot and air traffic control. It was now time to negotiate with the hijackers, but the situation was critical. The hijackers told the officers at the airport that if they did not comply, they would shoot a passenger every five minutes and throw the body out.
Episode 3
The civil and military officers went to the ground to negotiate with the hijackers. Akhtar Gorchani (then SSP Hyderabad) acted as Airport Manager Manoj Kumar, Usman Anwar (then ASP Hyderabad) acted as Assistant Airport Manager Ram Chandar, and Sohail Akbar Shah (then DC Hyderabad) acted as DC Bhuj Gopi Chand. They posed themself as Indians, spoke in Hindi with the hijackers, and gained their confidence.
Episode 4
The hijackers were now under the control of the officers, and it was time to end it all. The entire airport was cordoned off by police and rangers, and these brave officers brought down the hijackers to the ground, putting an end to that sensational situation.
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