There was no issue of the paper on May 22, 1965 due to a public holiday. Here is a selection from the May 21 issue.

EDITORIAL: THE crash of the PIA jet liner in the vicinity of Cairo ... is a grim and ghastly tragedy, which has plunged the whole country into deep and agonising grief. The sudden and untimely death of 121, out of 127 persons on board, is a poignant reminder to us all of how incalculable are the ways of Fate. On board the flight, which was celebrating the resumption of Pakistan’s air link with the UAR after a long break, were 127 persons including, as President Ayub has said in his message of sympathy, “eminent people who had served the country with great distinction in different fields”. Our sympathies go out to the bereaved families, and we share the sorrow and grief of the nation over the stunning loss. We also join with the people of the UAR in mourning the death in the disaster of the First Secretary of their Embassy here and his wife.

The tragedy cannot but be a severe blow to the struggling journalistic profession in this country. The sudden loss of so many journalists in a single catastrophe has created a void that will not be filled easily. ... The national airline too has sustained a heavy loss in the death of 13 well-trained crew members, including one of its ace pilots. ... Nothing can, or need, be said at this stage about the nature of the crash or its causes. A high powered Court of Inquiry comprising competent aviation experts from the UAR and Pakistan, is going to make an exhaustive study of all the facts to determine the cause of the disaster. The published reports so far do not offer many clues. ...

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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