Anti-Nuke Baluchis hijack Pak plane

ISLAMABAD/AHMEDABAD, May 24: A Pakistan International Airlines passenger aircraft was hijacked today by Balochistan nationalists but the plane was intercepted by a Pakistan air force jet and forced to land in Hyderabad, Sindh. The Fokker F-27 (PIA 554) flight from Gwadar in the Balochistan coastal belt to Karachi was carrying 24 passengers and 5 crew members. Airport sources in Ahmedabad said the plane violated Indian airspace and entered Gujarat before returning to Pakistan.

The hijackers, three tribesmen from Balochistan, are believed to be protesting against Pakistan’s alleged plan to carry out nuclear tests in their homeland. Balochistan nationalist groups had staged demonstrations to protest against the planned nuclear test site of Pakistan which is situated in the Chagai Hills in Balochistan The plane, the sources say, entered Gujarat and flashed a message to Rajkot airport tower that it wanted to land anywhere in India. Airport sources in Delhi confirmed that permission for landing in Jodhpur orJaisalmer was also sought. But, the Indian authorities did not oblige the hijackers. Radars on the border had been put on alert.

Confirming the violation of Indian airspace by the Pakistani plane, airport officials in Ahmedabad revealed that necessary precautionary measures had already begun at Ahmedabad airport. Similar security arrangements were made in Mumbai too. The security arrangements were withdrawn when the officials received the message at 8.20 p.m. that the plane had flown to Pakistan. The flight took off from Gwadar at 6.30 p.m. after originating from Turbat and was scheduled to land at Karachi at 7.15 p.m. but finally landed at Hyderabad at 8.20 p.m.

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Observers say that the hijacking comes at a critical time in Indo-Pakistan relations. Just prior to the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, an Indian Airlines plane was hijacked by Kashmiri militants and forced to land in Lahore. The hijacking sent tension between two countries and hostilities soon erupted.

Talks begin, hijackers seekpassage to Delhi

Pakistani authorities have began negotiations with the hijackers who demanded refuelling as soon as the plane touched down at Hyderabad. Reuters quoting Pakistan’s state-run television said officials at Hyderabad airport established contact with the hijackers who wanted the plane be taken to New Delhi. Even as the officials were busy ascertaining the hijackers’ demand besides refuelling, anti-hijack army commandos and police surrounded the plane in a possible operation to storm it. Security personnel took up positions and parked vehicles in front of the aircraft apparently to thwart it from flying again. Asked what kind of weapons the hijackers had, a senior official at the Hyderabad airport told PTI over telephone that they were carrying revolvers and possibly other weapons. The authorities have sealed off the airport and deployed fire tenders and ambulances to meet any eventuality.