News Analysis |
The return journey became the biggest trial for 300 Pakistani pilgrims when the Karachi-bound flight of Saudi Arabian Airline, that took off after three-hour delay from Madina, had a faulty air-conditioning system.
According to the passengers, the non-functioning air conditioning system of the aircraft rose the cabin temperature, creating suffocation and eventually causing elderly pilgrims including men and women to faint.
Many of the children and women passengers learned of the faulty cooling system after they sat down in the aircraft.
The risky decision of the airline put at stake the lives of 300 passengers. Who would have been responsible in case of any unpleasant incident?
The passengers further added that despite their continuous complaints during the flight, the cabin crew was unmoved. On the contrary, the cabin crew kept on making false claims that cooling system will function after the take-off.
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The cabin crew then resorted to misconduct with the passengers when again the passengers questioned about the cooling system, 45 minutes into the flight.
However, passengers complained that air-condition of the cockpit was working fine, and even pilot of the aircraft did not cooperate with the passengers.
While other passengers described that they kept on fanning with leaflets. They also said that the flight which was expected to take off at 1.30pm took off after almost three-hour delay around 4.30pm.
Every year, cases like that are reported, they get the temporary attention of mainstream media and the matter then dies out after some time
According to the passenger’s statement, the staff got to know about the technical error after all the passengers boarded the flight, with a delay of an hour, the crew decided to continue the flight operations, hoping that cooling system would start working soon.
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While according to the Standard flight operations, the air crafts are allowed to make an emergency landing in case of medical emergency or any other problem. However, the cabin crew including the pilot violated all the standard flight operation principles and risked the life of 300 passengers onboard.
Sources have also told that the families of fainted passengers were forcibly asked by the cabin crew to sign the declaration that the Saudi Airline Sv-706 was not responsible for medical conditions.
More so, the Karachi office of the airline also refused to give any statement, since according to them they were not allowed to.
The matter, however, is an open case of the Saudi government’s poor provision of standard facilities for the Hajj Pilgrims. None of the authorities from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan alike have spoken so far on this issue.
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More so, the Karachi office of the airline also refused to give any statement, since according to them they were not allowed to travel
Apart from religious obligations and the challenges the Hajj poses itself, the authorities of either side with their mismanagement, inept performance and corrupt officials multiplies the woes and plights of the pilgrims.
Every year, cases like that are reported, they get the temporary attention of mainstream media and the matter then dies out after some time. It seems that Hajj irregularities have become a norm now.
During the government of Pakistan’s People’s Party, Saeed Kazmi’s sentence of 16 years can be the only case cited so far where government machinery exerted its legitimate powers to punish the offenders.
Besides that, relentless efforts are made each year by the authorities to cover the issues of mismanagement during Hajj.
The risky decision of the airline put at stake the lives of 300 passengers. Who would have been responsible in case of any unpleasant incident?