Pakistan Airlines Delay Leads to Near Mutiny

Islamabad, Pakistan: Flight delays are nothing unusual at Pakistan's ailing state carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, long hobbled by political interference, a bloated staff and epic financial losses.

But the delayed departure of one flight on Monday caused several enraged passengers to mount a virtual mutiny and eject one politician and block another from the plane before it could even take off.

The incident occurred at the Karachi airport when Rehman Malik, a former interior minister best known for his colorful ties and erratic pronouncements, turned up two hours late for a flight to Islamabad.

The state airline often delays flights to accommodate tardy politicians and senior bureaucrats, which is seen as one reason for its patchy operational performance.

Jeering passengers stood at the entrance to the airplane, blocking Malik's way, witnesses said. The parliamentarian turned back and did not board the flight, and videos of the protesting passengers went viral on social media Monday evening.

Malik later denied that he was responsible for the drama, and blamed his political opponents. "I felt the drama was created by some passengers who were PTI folks," he said in an interview on Tuesday, referring to members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party led by the opposition politician Imran Khan.

Khan and his supporters have been camped out in central Islamabad for the past month, demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Malik said he had gone to airport late because Pakistan International Airlines staff members told him the flight would be delayed.

"The delay was not due to me," Malik said. "I myself suffered because of the airline's mismanagement."

A spokesman for Pakistan International Airlines appeared to corroborate Malik's account, saying the flight had been delayed by at least 90 minutes because of technical problems, and then an additional half-hour for unknown reasons.

"We are investigating the cause of the delay," said Mashhood Tajwar, the spokesman, adding that two managers at the airport had been suspended pending the outcome of an inquiry.

In the widely distributed videos of the fracas, a lawmaker from the governing party who was also on the flight, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, could also be seen being booed and heckled by passengers as he walked onto the plane.

Passengers surrounded Vankwani's window seat and, after confirming that he was a member of parliament, shouted "Shame, shame!"

In the videos, Vankwani pleads with his fellow passengers that the delay was not his fault. But the protesters ignore him and push him from the aircraft. "Beat him with shoes!" one person cries.

Shortly after, Malik could be seen approaching the plane on a jetway, but stopping after hearing the commotion.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" shouted one passenger, who appeared to be leading the charge. "Even if you are a minister, we don't care. We don't care anymore," he said before adding, "How long will we put up with this nonsense in the country?"

Malik, who was interior minister until last year, waved at the protesters and returned to the departures lounge. In the interview on Tuesday, he called the protesters "miscreants indulged in terrorism" and said he was considering legal action against Pakistan Airlines for failing to provide him and Vankwani with security.