JAKARTA – A Pakistani charter plane headed for Malaysia was reportedly forced to land in Sulawesi on Monday for flying over Indonesia without prior permission from authorities concerned. Per reports, the plane carrying army personnel was forced to land at the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, South Sulawesi, at 1.50pm.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesman Tajwar Mashood said the Boeing 737-300 with 54 people on board was chartered by UN peacekeepers in East Timor and might have strayed off course due to bad weather. It was piloted by Captain Tariq Khalilur Rehman Awan and was headed for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The plane allegedly flew over Indonesia without fulfilling three requirements -diplomatic clearance, security clearance and flight approval. The plane was parked at the airport while the crew and passengers were questioned by the Indonesian airport and immigration officials. Mashood said the Pakistani embassy in Indonesia had been informed and was taking action while the Foreign Ministry was also in contact with Indonesian authorities.
