A Fateful Ordeal

One year on, the single biggest event that keeps me traumatized about the PK8303 crash is the fact that the entire fateful ordeal resulted in the loss of 97 innocent lives. May 22, 2020 was one of the saddest days of our lives and will remain so forever.

God has been very kind to me and I have been managing my recovery well, including psychiatric counseling, medical treatment, etc., with the unwavering support of my employer and colleagues and my family and friends. I am extremely thankful for the prayers of all known and unknown well-wishers during the past one year.

However, as if work towards my recuperation, particularly mental, let me share with you that I discovered other complications and sufferings. I realized that I had been immersed in “survivor’s guilt”. I could not bring myself to meet with the other survivor or the families of victims. I struggled to attend funerals without thinking that the family of the deceased must be wondering why I was saved by a miracle, when their loved ones were not. This is probably the most difficult phase of my life which I am still struggling to get over with a great deal of endeavour.

Unfortunately, even after the lapse of 12-months after the crash (the 6th Pakistani plane to crash in a decade), nothing changed at the national level to improve passenger safety. I believe that we at least need to bring domestic flight standards at par with international ones, and enforce standardized procedures to handle crashes and their aftermath. I believe that the entire eco-system needs to be reviewed and revamped to ensure better safety and security standards.

This is why I have decided to set up a not-for-profit organization which would be dedicated to work for passenger safety and security. The foundation will have two main functions - work on raising awareness about passenger safety and passenger rights in civil society; and work with policy-makers to improve standards and regulations, push for legislative change and their implementation and ensure better legal assistance and coverage for affectees.

On the first anniversary of the tragic incident, may God rest the departed souls in peace and give strength to their families to bear their irreparable loss. Aameen!