PIA tragedy.

AT the time of writing, rescuers were going through the debris of the PIA Airbus which crashed in Karachi on Friday, looking for survivors and, possibly, clues that could indicate the cause of the disaster. Hopes of saving some lives were raised because of the miraculous escape of at least two passengers. The PIA flight from Lahore was carrying 91 passengers and eight crew. The evidence so far shows that the plane ran into trouble moments from its destination. Capt Sajjad Gul lost contact with ground control when his aircraft was hovering around 150m. Soon afterwards, the aircraft - which could have been carrying many more passengers had a Covid-19 social-distancing regime not been in place - crashed close to the Jinnah International Airport. That the aircraft hit a residential area, causing mayhem on the ground, has added to the tragedy. Consequently, as people tried to get an idea of the number of dead and injured on the plane and their names, there were also inquiries about those who were not travelling on the plane but whose dwellings had been hit.

The fact that the plane crashed in a neighbourhood raises a crucial question: do houses and buildings situated so close to a busy aircraft landing spot in the country meet the legal requirements. Or have they been allowed to mushroom in typical Pakistani manner, with the buyers of the built property paying less because of the risk they courted on a daily basis? Perhaps more urgently asked were the questions relating to...