One year on
All 152 people aboard Airblue Flight 202 died when their plan crashed into the Margalla hills in Islamabad. That is when the ordeal of their families and loved ones started. From the initial problems of sifting through the confusion and data that followed the crash – all a result of the absence of a coordination centre – to the later, bigger issues of trying to make sense of the tragedy. No investigation can bring back the dead but a measure of closure is required for the healing process.
It has been a full year since the incident but the families of survivors still have no idea about what exactly happened on that flight. The Civil Aviation Authority has just announced that the investigation report has been submitted to the government on the first anniversary of the incident. But it was made clear that the investigation would be made public only after the government also gets comments from the international aviation companies. Presumably, this seems to be a better approach than merely publishing the findings. If the aviation companies do not agree, it’d become a messy version vs version thing. And, of course, there is the issue of the legal value of the report if it does not have their comments.
There is some dissatisfaction, however, at how long the process is taking. That dissatisfaction is not helped by news reports of insiders claiming that the government has been sitting on the report since March. Have they sent it to the aviation companies? If yes, then why are they taking so long?
The report could do more than give closure to grieving families. By zeroing in on what exactly went wrong on that flight, the government would be able to ensure what could be done to avoid such tragedies in the future.
