Friends Indeed

Unbelievable is the word that comes to one’s mind on listening to the GeoNews story of a PIA Captain flying his friend to London without ticket, boarding card or the immigration formalities!! I have flown a lot and always found the airlines crew going through the immigration and customs like other passengers, though a little preferentially. How come the immigration staff let go of Syed Salim Zaidi without checking his travel documents that include the ticket, the boarding card and the passport? One wonders how many times before the daring captain had not performed a similar unbelievable feat? I am not sure if any action would be taken against the immigration staff on duty but surely Captain Hamid Gardezi and Syed Salim Zaidi have made the most befitting and appropriate use of their allegedly claimed friendship with the PM Gilani and President Zardari respectively. Sayyan bhaey kotwal haemin dar kahey ka?! 

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)