The reviewer is a staff member of the daily
Book Title:Hijacking From the Ground: The Bizarre Story of PK 805
By Aminullah Chaudry Authorhouse; Pp 350
Aminullah Chaudry’s book begins as an oxymoron. We are all accustomed to hearing about hijackings that, as a rule, take place in mid-air but not this one, one orchestrated from the ground; when conventions are defied and the norm is challenged, the aftermath is talked about for days to come. Exactly what happened aboard PK 805, probably the most hotly debated flight in Pakistan’s recent aviation history, is just what this book attempts to uncover, which is not surprising considering that the author himself has an extremely intimate bearing with the most intricate details of the event.
PK 805 carried one very special passenger, a ‘voluntary’ front-runner for the best seat in the house: the Presidency. The shotgun rider was none other than our last ‘benevolent’ military dictator. As Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Pervez Musharraf occupied an extremely animated post, not only was he top-brass within the ranks of the army, he was the raison d’etre for a political coup, the likes of which has been unmatched in Pakistan’s long and illustrious history of military takeovers and rules.
It was this flight, en route from Colombo, that was to be diverted away from Karachi ¾ or even more preferably, out of the country ¾ in an attempt to prevent Pervez Musharraf from re-entering a direct contact zone with his army cohorts. The then Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, was the proverbial hand that rocked the cradle as he had decided it best to finish off ¾ by designation reprimand ¾ with the COAS while the latter was still in mid-air so that no army initiative would be allowed to begin. When the protagonist of a movement is cut off from all and sundry 30,000 feet in the air, rearrangement in the pecking order is a relatively easier task. A calculated gamble, yes; but a gamble nonetheless.
And the man asked to facilitate this diversion? Aminullah Chaudry. The author, at the time of the event, was the government’s Secretary of Aviation and Director General, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan, rendering him at the centre of this power storm. Aminullah was given orders by the prime minister, under whom the CAA directly served, to close down Karachi and Nawabshah airports for all international flights. “There was no doubt in my mind that I was duty-bound to carry out the orders of the elected Chief Executive of Pakistan, if the rules so permitted, and as long as no threat was posed to human life and property.” However, this compliance was soon changed to temerity when the pilot radioed in informing Aminullah that the plane was low on fuel, resulting in the flight’s clearance at Nawabshah. Soon after, the army barged into the control tower and brought PK 805 to a safe landing in Karachi. It is only fitting then, that after such a controversial standoff and knowing the nitty-gritties of almost every minute as it unfolded, Aminullah Chaudry would turn his keen insight into public observation, including the legal and civil aftermath of such a scenario.
The subject matter is thrilling to say the least, especially as it narrates an episode in the genre of non-fiction, yet the justice done to the matter leaves plenty to be desired. How anyone could converge on such material and then write a book that leaves out a hefty size of animation and explosive drama ¾ added merely for the benefit of the reader ¾ is beyond literary comprehension. Agreed, the terrain is reality-based, but all ethos on illustrating real-life events and converting them into page turning reads need to be considered before penning such a high-energy real-life drama.
Unfortunately, the book becomes a bit of a drag a few chapters through, probably not really a fault of the author as much as the reader’s own elevated expectations, as a book vowing to personally uncover all falls disappointingly short as an edge-of-your-seat read.
There are moments of long awaited glory sprinkled not too generously throughout the book; the Plane Conspiracy Case is one such snippet. The trial, which pitted the military against a democratically elected prime minister and his cohorts, is actually quite exhaustively documented and insightful. Within the recesses of the courtroom, intrigues on evidence tampering and evidence denied make their way for a conviction of political proportions, of which the author himself was part due to his being in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, after a stint in house-arrest and judicial proceedings he was let off: “Aminullah Chaudry was a victim of circumstances, the pressures and difficulties he apprehended in case of defiance of appellant (Nawaz Sharif’s) orders, proved that he is a victim of circumstance.”
If looking for a discerning view on the specific aspects of the court case that convicted Nawaz Sharif and gave authenticity to the governance brought forward by a military coup, this book is for you. However, if searching for a tale that reeks of electrifying hijack anecdotes and national espionage, readers are urged to leave their amplified anticipations at the door. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\02\25\story_25-2-2010_pg3_6
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