The head of Bhoja Air was not allowed to live the country following an order by the Pakistani government. He was ordered held in protective custody while an investigation was started following the second air disaster to hit the country in less than 24 months.
On Friday, a Bhoja Air jet crashed while trying to land at Islamabad’s airport during a thunderstorm. All 127 aboard the plane were killed and the crash revived concerns about the safety of aviation in the country.
The small airline, which just resumed its operations in March, after it had suspended them back in 2001 because of financial difficulties, said the weather had been the cause of the tragedy.
The Interior Minister also said that it seemed as if the fault was the airlines, as it acquired aircraft that were very old.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister ordered a commission opened to probe the tragic accident. Yousuf Raza Gilani said, “It is not right to reach conclusions before a proper investigation has been conducted.”
The government immediately started to receive criticism over its granting of a license to Bhoja, one of only three airlines in the country that is private. The people feel the rich owners of the company were able to convince the government to grant a license when it may not have deserved one.
