Musharraf recalls the crucial minutes

[Ulhas Joglekar]

12 November 1999
Musharraf recalls the crucial minutes
ISLAMABAD: When the Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying General
Pervez Musharraf home from Colombo was denied permission to land by the
Karachi control tower, India was definitely not on the dismissed army
chief's list of favoured destinations.
``This can happen only over my dead body,'' the chief of army staff (COAS)
told the pilot when he was informed that the plane had just about enough
fuel to reach India. (The Ahmedabad airport, across the Rann of Kutch, was
the closest from the port city of Karachi with facilities to handle jet
passenger aircraft).
Recounting to the Associated Press of Pakistan the events that unfolded in
the dramatic hour after his dismissal as the COAS, Gen musharraf said, ``The
pilot told me: Sir, we have one hour's fuel left and with this kind of fuel
we can go to india or muscat. And, he said, we had been ordered to fly at
15,000 to 20,000 feet. And then he said he was in the process of diving. We
are actually now left with 45 minutes fuel and we can only go to india.''
``I told him, `Over my dead body. We are not going to india'.''
Gen Musharraf said he was sure the Karachi airport was getting instructions
from Islamabad, at the highest level. The directions reeked of callousness.
``I took about three-four minutes (to react). Actually, we were just
relaxing coming back from Sri Lanka when my private secretary, Brig Nadim,
said the pilot was inviting me to the cockpit for something urgent.
``When I went to the pilot, he said that we were not being allowed to land.
And the worst was that they were telling us, `You can't land anywhere in
Pakistan, you get out of pakistan'. So, I said, what is the situation? Where
do we go?
``I said, `Tell the situation to the ATC (Air Traffic Control)'. So, we told
him we are not going to india. They used five minutes discussing. They were
in contact with somebody and I am pretty sure now that they were getting
instructions from islamabad at the highest level. So, after five to ten
minutes, he comes back and says we cannot land here and get out of Pakistan.
``By this time, the pilot said that now we do not even have the fuel to go
to india. We have got, maybe, 35 minutes to land. So, I said, OK. Hell with
everything, land at Karachi.''
``The pilot, however, said that landing lights on the runway must have been
switched off. There must be something across the runway which would not
allow us to land. In fact, it would be a total disaster. I had to accept but
I said: `Paint this picture immediately to the ATC. Because, we can't go
anywhere. We don't have the fuel to go anywhere. Where do we go?
``The ATC came on and again there was a long silence because I believe they
were again on the telephone, communicating with somebody or the other. They
came back on the air and said: `You have been permitted to divert to
Nawabshah and land there. So, I said: Let's go. We have the fuel, we can
reach Nawabshah. We diverted to Nawabshah. And somewhere in between we
crossed Hyderabad. I saw Hyderabad down there.''
Gen Musharraf said that was when the GOC, Gen Iftikhar, came on the air and
said he wanted the aircraft to return immediately to Karachi. ``Everything
is alright, he told us. Initially, I had a little bit of suspicion on who
was speaking. However, then I myself took the mike and asked for the corps
commander who was not there, and then Gen Iftikhar told me that everything
is OK. I asked him, `What has happened, you tell me first.'
``He told me, `Actually you were fired at 5-o'clock and I did not know what
was happening. And, after that, the army reacted and everything is all
right. We are now in charge of Karachi airport and come back immediately.'
The pilot told me we could go either way. So, I said: OK, immediately turn
back. We are going back to Karachi.''
Gen Musharraf said all this while none of the passengers knew what was
happening. ``Even my wife didn't know. She was fast asleep. She came to know
when we almost landed at Karachi. When I told her what had happened,
obviously she started crying.'' (UNI)

For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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