PIA boards PPP leaders on wrong flight

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party leader, former ambassador and Senator Sherry Rehman along with other PPP leaders almost didn't make it to Garhi Khuda Bux to attend the 9th death anniversary of two time former prime minister Late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto when PIA boarded them on a flight for Multan instead of Sukkur on Tuesday morning. 

The Senator took to micro-blogging site Twitter where she said "PIA boarded us on the wrong ATR for Multan instead of Sukkur" followed by a prayer emoticon she added, "now on right plane but no bakra in sight!".

PIA boarded us on the wrong ATR for Multan instead of Sukkur now on right plane but no bakra in sight! #PPP pic.twitter.com/dSixkGex97

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) December 27, 2016

After boarding the flight Senator Sherry Rehman said she was surprised the aircraft was half empty; the other PPP leaders whom she knew were at the airport to board the same flight were missing. That is when she realized something was amiss, she told Geo.tv after arriving in Sukkur.

PIA Spokesman Danyal Gilani however narrated a slightly different version of events in a statement released this afternoon.

The statement said, "two ATR aircraft were parked on adjacent bays at Karachi airport, departing for Multan and Sukkur at almost the same time. Due to some confusion the coach driver dropped her [Senator Rehman] at the wrong bay. However as she approached the aircraft operating for Multan, the staff present outside the aircraft, corrected her and guided her to the other aircraft which was parked a few steps away."

Speaking to Geo.tv earlier in the day Gilani had confirmed that the incident did take place and added that the matter is being investigated. 

Note: An earlier version of this story did not contain Senator Sherry Rehman's comments as she was still en route to Sukkur and could not be reached by phone.