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- Dubai 04:25 05:43 12:19 15:46 18:50 20:09
Smoke rises above the Jinnah International Airport where security forces continue to battle militants Monday, June 9, 2014, in Karachi, Pakistan. Gunmen disguised as police guards attacked a terminal with machine guns and a rocket launcher during a five-hour siege that killed 13 people as explosions echoed into the night, while security forces retaliated and killed all the attackers, officials said Monday. (AP)
The terror attack at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport that has left 26 dead has shocked the Pakistani expats in the UAE.
Amin Polani, who just flew in to Dubai from Karachi the day before, had a close call.
“My flight was overbooked and Emirates airline had in fact offered me a ticket on the flight for the next day, but I insisted that I had to be back at work. Or else, I would’ve been there now,” he recalls.
The terror attack, he admits, has left everyone in his country deeply disturbed as Karachi is the country’s “biggest airport”.
“We always thought the airport was safe because the security is very high there. Now, even that has been penetrated.”
He adds that the reaction from the Pakistani security forces has been quick. “They have showed that there is no place for negotiations in such situations.
“They contained the attack in five hours, and have limited the civilian casualty,” said the Al Nahda resident.
Jawad Iqbal, another Pakistani expat and resident of the same area, is equally upset with the unfortunate events that unfolded in his homeland.
“I have been glued to the television set since last night. Even today, I haven’t gone to work. I’m just watching all the updates. It’s very disturbing.”
He is scheduled to travel to Karachi with his wife and children early next month, but is worried if it’s safe to travel.
“It’s often more difficult for the women. They get really shaken by these events,” he adds.
Even Jawad believes the airport to be one of the safest places, so to see it under attack is rather worrying.
“Karachi is a safe city, and the people are so happy there. Often what the international media shows is not the real picture,” he claims.
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