Jinnah International Airport
The Chief Justice was stationed at the Jinnah International Airport and had been unable to leave due to violence and road-blocks established around his location, as well as fears that his leaving may have precipitated further bloodshed. In accommodation, the government agreed to send a helicopter to transport him out of the airport, but Chaudhry refused, indicating that he wished to travel by ground. Ultimately, Chaudhry would not compromise on this issue and returned to Islamabad, stating that he was unwilling to leave the airport without sufficient security as well as his cadré of lawyers. According to Munir A. Malik, one of the chief justice's lawyers, Musharraf's offer to transport Chaudhry by helicopter was actually an attempt to "kidnap" him.
On 12 May 2007, Pakistan International Airlines issued a statement indicating that all flights from Karachi had been delayed, as cabin crews could not reach the airport due to road blocks.
Read more about this topic: 2007 Karachi Riots
Famous quotes containing the word airport:
“Airplanes are invariably scheduled to depart at such times as 7:54, 9:21 or 11:37. This extreme specificity has the effect on the novice of instilling in him the twin beliefs that he will be arriving at 10:08, 1:43 or 4:22, and that he should get to the airport on time. These beliefs are not only erroneous but actually unhealthy.”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1950)