KARACHI: That people can assert their rights and refuse to be bullied by VIPs was witnessed on a PIA aircraft on Monday night when two late-arriving politicians were asked by angry passengers to get off because they had caused a flight delay of an hour and 45 minutes.

According to sources, the politicians were former interior minister and now Senator Rehman Malik of the PPP and MNA Dr Ramesh Vankwani of the PML-N.

A PIA official confirmed the incident on the Islamabad-bound flight carrying over 200 passengers and said two airline officials had been suspended.

The sources said the scheduled departure of PK-370 was 7pm but it could not take off till 8.45pm. The passengers lost their cool when the crew informed them that they were waiting for VIPs.

Shortly afterwards, Rehman Malik came strolling through the terminal bridge and when he was about to enter the aircraft, passengers started shouting at him for coming late and delaying the flight and asked him to get off the plane.

Mr Malik realised the gravity of the situation and started walking back but when he saw the passengers calming down he tried to return to the aircraft. But when the enraged passengers started shouting again, Mr Malik considered it unadvisable to travel in the company of angry people and eventually left the plane.

The passengers soon noticed that another passenger had sneaked into the plane and was sitting quietly. When they came to know that he too was a VIP — MNA Dr Ramesh Vankwani — he was also told to get off the aircraft. But when he tried to argue he was shouted down. Eventually, he too had to leave the plane.

The PIA official claimed that the 90-minute delay had been caused by technical reasons and another 15 minutes by late arrival of two passengers. The official declined to identify the passengers.

According him, an inquiry was carried out and two officials – Shift Manager Nadeem and Terminal Manager Shahzad – were suspended for having waited for the two passengers and delaying the flight by 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Rehman Malik claimed that the senator had been informed at 5.45pm that the flight was late because of technical reasons and it was expected to take off at 8.30pm.

Accordingly, Mr Malik arrived at the airport and while he was going to board the plane he was informed by a PIA official that workers of a political party were raising slogans against a PML-N MNA. In view of the situation, Mr Malik did not board the plane.

According to the spokesperson, PIA issued an official press release stating that the delay was caused by a technical fault, and not because of Mr Malik. Hence, the propaganda against the PPP leader was mala fide and without any foundation.

The spokesman also referred to the Civil Aviation rules which bar people from making videos in the vicinity of airports, especially in plane.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2014