I thought it was the Saudi L-1011 but apparently it wsn't. Could be this one as a leaking stove is identified as a possible cause. It was a PK 707.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/1979/791126-0.htm

I think that's the ticket. I'm surprised that it was a PIA flight, though. It is pretty scary that it was 21 years ago, and yet some of the Flyertalkers have reported that this type of foolhardy behavior is still continuing, apparently with the tacit approval of PIA.

I think if this is true, that anyone flying them must have a death wish.

Thanx for uncovering those facts, Terenz.

after knowing our friends' experiences, aren't u glad now that u were not served food?

ok.....in case i have to fly from India to Pak, which i hope in my lifetime not....i wd transit via Thailand or UAE.

no wonder...alaska air waqs try to join PIA (the association), but u don't get protected by allah just by using "prayer card", u need to be true believer http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

no, no,...remeber they dont hand out proper food...so the non-cooking class is not really needed.....what about installing electric stove instead of the personalized video in front of each seat?

Portable stoves? Am I mad?

OK I'll fly SR or BA instaed in Y for the same price (at least I'll make it!)

BTW thanks for the hilarious comments http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

As Indogulf points out, there is a large population, and many multinationals sell into the Pakistani market. Lahore is a key commercial and legal center in Pakistan. I was there as a bus dev person from a small company, and we had a good opportunity for significant sales there, but shortly after my visit, Pakistan's standing with overseas investment bodies took a significant dip, making transactions prohibitively difficult.

I actually enjoyed Lahore quite a bit - I believe Austman might have a different take on it, as I think he was there during the coup - but I was treated with the warmest of hospitality, including by the government and military officials with whom I met. I hope to go back some day.

Indogulf - in retrospect, you're probably right about IR, but at the time there had been a rash of disasters that made the rounds of the international press. The bus service had actually just started when I went, but it took too long for my available time.

I was traveling with a colleague who was a dual US/Indian national, whose family was from near Lahore. It was a matter of great personal, logistical and bureaucratic angst for him to make the trip from DEL to Lahore. He, in fact, needed to go to Chandragarh (sp?) on the way back, and was met at the Pakistani-Indian border (where the bus crosses) by a colleague to drive him. To the great amusement of customs officials, he walked across the border to the waiting car in India. The recollection of the customs officials was that a US citizen had never done that before.


Greg

Initially, I was very upset by pointman's comment, but then I remembered that when I was in my teens I had said something similar about traveling to India. This was when I had never traveled outside the US.

Now that I've been to India twice and loved it both times and have been hoping to visit Pakistan for the past four years, I am open to visiting just about anywhere in the world, with the exception of places that may be at war at that moment.

In terms of the attractions in Pakistan, aside from business, historical, and cultural, I would highlight the magnificent scenery found in northern Pakistan.

For those that are interested, Pakistan and China are linked by a friendship road called the Karakoram Highway (KKH). I believe it is the highest-elevation road in the world, and it connects the Silk Road oasis town of Kashgar, home to a huge bazaar on Sundays, with northern Pakistan. Along the way, one would be able to see dozens of mountains above 7000 meters as well as one above 8000 meters. K2 is also nearby.

This just in...."Pakistan Airlines to join the SkyTeam alliance."

This discussion got me curious so I went to the website of Pakistan Airlines and on their fleet page they have links to the emergency instructions for each plane.

Check out: http://www.piac.com.pk/fleet/boeing_747-300.htm

Certain parts of the KKH go through areas of Pakistan that are controlled not by the government in Islamabad, but rather by the local "tribal" chieftans. Apparently the KKH itself is relatively safe, but just off the road is basically lawless.

If you're planning such a trip, advice and guidance from someone who's done it before is definitely warranted.

Still, it would be a cool trip.

Greg

if you go from the chinese side of the border. you could rent a 4WD from Urumqi to drive rather cheaply if u have 3-4 ppl. they do it by something like US$0.5/km...regardless of how many days it take....eg. if u wd drive 3000km (~2000miles) in a 12 day trip across the whole desert (circa Nevada+Arizona mix Iran+Kazarkstan), it wd cost u soem $1500, if u have a group of 4 it only cost you <$400. the ho(s)tels are sth like $20/room/night (fits 2 ppl)......but i am not sure if u can cross teh pakistani border (if well arranged, u might be able to manage to get another jeep or truck ont he other side of the border to continue you trip...again, it sd be pretty safe even thougn it is part of kashmir, it is far from where the fighting is (kashmir is not small!)

You could also take the train or fly between Urumqi and Kashgar. From Kashgar, you can begin the overland journey by taking a series of public buses or hiring a 4WD Landcruiser from a government-sanctioned agency that will take you across the border. You could hire a landcruiser in Pakistan and do the journey in reverse as well. The actual border (Khunjerab Pass) is usually open between the May-Nov timeframe, but can be open for a longer or shorter period depending on snow.

I read somewhere recently that Pakistan has lifted advance visa requirements for visits to the Northern Frontier regions (the area around the KKH). It is a very poor region and the government is hoping to stimulate the economy with more tourism. Unfortunately, I paid for my $50 visa right before this policy was implemented.

As far as safety is concerned in the area, I think the only issues really are due to landslides. I have researched this trip every year for the past decade, and I do not recall any major risks. As pegasus8228 said, Kashmir is huge and the troubles there do not affect travel along the KKH. In addition, I have been reading reports of travelers crossing into Afghanistan (probably not recommended at this moment but it is doable) from part of Pakistan.

For those interested, the other high mountain pass that travelers take along the old Silk Road would be Torugut Pass, connecting Kyrgyzstan and China. That visa will also set you back around $50 and you need to hire in advance separate vehicles on each side of the border. During the Cold War, Kyrgyzstan was the Austria/Switzerland of the Soviet Union, where serious mountain climbers would visit for training. Direct flights connect Urumqi with Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. In addition, further along the Silk Road, PIA flies between Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, and Islamabad (this is actually one of the flights I wanted to take in 1998), as it was the only way to avoid Afghanistan at the time.

Finally, FWIW, last year, a technology startup I was affiliated with farmed out some work to a Pakistani technology outfit. They weren't very sophisticated at designing web pages but they did the parsing work we needed without a problem.

Duplicate posting below

[This message has been edited by enjoystravel (edited 01-08-2001).]