Last minute decision: Nisar ordered to divert Qadri's plane to Lahore, sources

Plane was decided to divert plane after PAT supporters broke through the security cordon.

ISLAMABAD: The decision to divert Dr Tahirul Qadri's plane to Lahore was taken by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar after Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) supporters had managed to breakthrough the security cordon, sources revealed on Monday.

Emirates flight EK-612, with Dr Qadri sitting in its business class, was scheduled to land at the Islamabad airport on Monday morning. However, as it completed its eight circle above Islamabad airport, it was directed to land in Lahore.

Government sources said that as per the the initial plan, the plane was supposed to land in Islamabad, but the decision to redirect it was taken at the last minute.

“If the government had any plan to divert the plane to Lahore, we would have conveyed it the pilot soon after the aircraft entered Pakistani airspace. The plane made eight rounds around Islamabad airport before it was decided to divert it to Lahore” a high ranking government official familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune.

Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who was supervising the security situation, took the decision after assessing the conditions on the ground and directed civil aviation authorities to divert the plane, claimed the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

As per the initial plan, the government intended to land the plane at Islamabad where it would airlift Dr Qadri, via a helicopter or a small plane, to Lahore. The police was tasked to keep the protesters at least few miles away from airport area.

However, when the police teargas, batten charges and security barriers failed to stop the protesters, the government altered its plan.

The retreating police, instead of serving as a barrier between the protesters and the airport building, engaged in skirmishes with activists on the other end of the road.

Government sources said, there was potential threat that protesters could get violent once Qadri was airlifted from Islamabad.

The incident not only earned bad name for the country but it resulted into financial loss to Emirates airline whose flight schedules were also disturbed.

When Qadri refused to come out of plane in Lahore and the aircraft was stranded, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed his advisor on civil aviation Shujaat Azeem contact Emirates airline administration. He offered Emirates to take their stranded passengers in Lahore and Islamabad through a PIA plane to Dubai.