Overview
- A Lahore–Jeddah Boeing 777 diverted to Karachi after a windshield failed at 34,000 feet, then received a windshield removed from another grounded aircraft and was reinforced with high‑speed tape.
- The customary 24‑hour post‑replacement grounding was not observed as the jet reentered service, with instructions to check the tape before each flight for 10 days.
- Engineering sources say only 14 of 32 aircraft are airworthy after years of procurement lapses, including no windshield purchases for four years and wider spare‑parts shortages.
- PIA’s schedule has suffered since engineers began a protest on November 3 over pay and maintenance standards, with reports of dozens of cancellations and more than 125 delays.
- In separate security updates, Levies opened an investigation after tribal leader Shakir Saadullah Langu and three others were shot dead in Qalat, and Sargodha police arrested a former MNA’s son following a crash that killed a six‑year‑old boy.