:::: MENU ::::
Posts tagged with: Air Force

What’s a Meridian Jet doing in Karachi?

Last week while traveling to Islamabad for a personal visit I noticed this jet parked on the tarmac near the PAF sheds, little did I think again about the airplane until I read a blog post by Omar R Quraishi who also happened to notice this plane while he was jet-setting to Lahore for a day, upon his return he put his journalistic talents to use and Googled out some concerning facts.

Meridian Airways previously known as Air Charter Express is being used by British Ministry of Defense from RAF Lyneham base and may also be engaged in flying to Afghanistan as well. With extensive involvement of the US and British forces in Pakistan, it might be as simple as a routine trip to Pakistan shipping supplies to the American forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But Omar logically deduced some similarity with CIA covert rendition program to say

The plane looked very similar to other aircraft that have appeared in news stories every now and then on the whole so-called ‘rendition’ programme in which the CIA uses private aircraft to ferry prisoners to various countries where they are then interrogated so that US laws regarding prisoners and torture don’t have any bearing.

We know for a fact that the US has in the past smuggled out a number of Pakistani nationals out of Pakistan, so I too would be worried as to why this jet is being operated in Pakistan it being suspicious parked behind three PAF Jets at the Karachi Airport, Omar Quraishi rightfully questions

Who came on it? What was it being used for? And how many such planes use Karachi airport in a week? A month? We are taxpayers and our taxes go to pay for installations such as Karachi airport and for the salaries of the air traffic controllers who interact and guide these planes to land — surely we need to know –who is going to tell us this?


A dinner invitation package by Air Chief Marshal

Open Letter to Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman by Mr. Naeem Sadiq

Dear Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman,

Thank you for inviting me and my wife for a dinner on 6th October 2009 at the PAF Museum. I deeply regret that I would be away from the city on that day, and would not be able to join you at the dinner.

The invitation is accompanied by a set of nine documents, plastic cards, stamps, envelopes and metal clips. These are:

  1. A map of the location and entry points
  2. A self addressed envelope for acknowledgement
  3. A four rupee stamp
  4. A printed card that has various options stated on it, such as I will come alone, with wife or will not be able to attend.
  5. A large invitation card stating that the Air Chief Marshal wishes to invite you for a dinner.
  6. A laminated plastic card that has my name printed in bold letters
  7. A small zip lock plastic bag containing a metal clip. This clip can be removed from the bag and assembled with the plastic card so that one may display one’s name on the chest pocket.
  8. A TCS envelope containing all these materials. (TCS charges Rs.50 for delivery within city and Rs.120 for delivery outside the city.)
  9. A yellow printed car parking ticket

Continue Reading