'Seat 1C' launched with life lessons from a plane crash
Zafar Masud, the banker who miraculously survived the plane crash in Karachi five years ago involving the national airline, shared his story at the launch of his book, Seat 1C. Speaking at the event, he stated "I wrote this book primarily for myself, but it contains life lessons that can be beneficial for everyone." The book not only narrates his personal story but also addresses important topics such as mental therapy, the significance of traditions, courage, arrogance, and "survivor's guilt."
Following the book launch, Masud was invited for a discussion and Q&A session at Habib University, where he spoke about the experiences, emotions, and reflections before, during, and after the crash, as captured in his book. The session was moderated by journalist Naveen Naqvi, and was attended by literary circles, academia, students, various figures from the banking sector, and professionals from different fields.
Masud, who is also the president of the Bank of Punjab, claimed that surviving a plane crash is an experience unlike any other, and that extensive research went into the background of the book, drawing from survival stories around the world. He emphasised that in life, certain lessons are crucial and must not be overlooked, stressing that the book does not promote any political ideology; rather, it focuses on history, research, and life lessons valuable to all individuals.
Masud also mentioned that literature is the best medium to express themes related to education and the economy, and this belief motivated him to write the book, which he believes can especially serve as a learning resource for youth and students. He shared that one of his favorite chapters is about rituals, where he recounts the kindness of people who immediately came to his aid after the crash. He recalled how the vehicle that transported him was later destroyed, but he remained deeply grateful for the good people who were there for him at the right time. The book also dedicates an entire chapter to the topic of arrogance, shedding light on the possible causes of the plane crash. According to Masud, the pilot's overconfidence was a major factor; despite warnings from his subordinates about landing issues, the pilot chose not to listen.
Masud stated "I am an optimistic person. Without the prayers of my grandfather and the help of good people, I wouldn't be here today. Courage means not fleeing from challenges but standing firm."
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Express Tribune
28-04-2025
- Express Tribune
'Seat 1C' launched with life lessons from a plane crash
Zafar Masud, the banker who miraculously survived the plane crash in Karachi five years ago involving the national airline, shared his story at the launch of his book, Seat 1C. Speaking at the event, he stated "I wrote this book primarily for myself, but it contains life lessons that can be beneficial for everyone." The book not only narrates his personal story but also addresses important topics such as mental therapy, the significance of traditions, courage, arrogance, and "survivor's guilt." Following the book launch, Masud was invited for a discussion and Q&A session at Habib University, where he spoke about the experiences, emotions, and reflections before, during, and after the crash, as captured in his book. The session was moderated by journalist Naveen Naqvi, and was attended by literary circles, academia, students, various figures from the banking sector, and professionals from different fields. Masud, who is also the president of the Bank of Punjab, claimed that surviving a plane crash is an experience unlike any other, and that extensive research went into the background of the book, drawing from survival stories around the world. He emphasised that in life, certain lessons are crucial and must not be overlooked, stressing that the book does not promote any political ideology; rather, it focuses on history, research, and life lessons valuable to all individuals. Masud also mentioned that literature is the best medium to express themes related to education and the economy, and this belief motivated him to write the book, which he believes can especially serve as a learning resource for youth and students. He shared that one of his favorite chapters is about rituals, where he recounts the kindness of people who immediately came to his aid after the crash. He recalled how the vehicle that transported him was later destroyed, but he remained deeply grateful for the good people who were there for him at the right time. The book also dedicates an entire chapter to the topic of arrogance, shedding light on the possible causes of the plane crash. According to Masud, the pilot's overconfidence was a major factor; despite warnings from his subordinates about landing issues, the pilot chose not to listen. Masud stated "I am an optimistic person. Without the prayers of my grandfather and the help of good people, I wouldn't be here today. Courage means not fleeing from challenges but standing firm."
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Seat 1C review: the weight of survival
In the May of 2020, when much of the world was under varying degrees of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan witnessed one of the worst air disasters in its history — the sixth in the span of a decade. Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303, on approach to Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, crashed a few miles short of the runway, plunging into one of the city's most densely populated residential areas. Of the 99 people on board, including the crew, only two survived. Zafar Masud, who had been appointed chief executive officer of the Bank of Punjab just a month before the crash, was one of them. In the years since the tragedy, Masud has frequently spoken about the experience in both public engagements and write-ups. He has also shared his observations, not only on what went wrong that fateful day, but also on the complex personal journey of coming to terms with survival and the conflicted emotions it can leave behind. His book 'Seat 1C: A Survivor's Tale of Hope, Resilience and Renewal', published by Lightstone Publishers this year, attempts to bring together those reflections. The book, however, is no self-indulgent memoir. Nor does it succumb to the sense of exceptionalism someone else might develop with a survival story of similar proportions. Masud, in fact, takes pains to downplay his own survival, framing it as an act of grace rather than personal triumph: 'The truth is that I was saved for no apparent reason, other than my parents' prayers… My being alive was truly a miracle, but it was one I could not question. According to the European Transport Safety Council, 90 per cent of aircraft accidents are technically survivable,' he writes. In contrast to himself, he praises his fellow survivor Mohammad Zubair for acting 'heroically' and with 'remarkable presence of mind': 'Zubair played an active role in getting himself out of danger… My own escape was much more passive in nature… He had repeatedly relied on his gut feeling and impulse to move towards safety and somehow managed to follow through in the most terrifying circumstances.' More than simple recollection, 'Seat 1C' is an exercise in meditation by the author — both on what ails our country, and on what is 'good' within its people and our individual selves. Masud begins by dissecting the air disaster itself, drawing on both his personal observations from the flight cabin and the public and official reports that followed. One trait he identifies as a key factor in the chain of events leading up to the tragedy is 'arrogance'. Although he holds the pilot responsible for the crash — citing an unnecessarily risky descent in disregard of standard protocol and his decision to fly the plane while fasting — Masud views the pilot's 'arrogance' as a symptom of deeper systemic rot. A rot, he argues, extends far beyond the national airline or even the country's aviation sector. Drawing parallels with Pakistan's decline in sports and governance — and even with the fall of the Mughal dynasty — Masud stresses that arrogance, insincerity, and a breakdown in transparent communication are recurring patterns that have long undermined the country's progress, and have, like PK8303, at times culminated in tragedy. While he is unsparing in highlighting institutional shortcomings, the author is equally emphatic about the 'inherent goodness' of ordinary people, which he experienced first-hand through the bystanders who rescued him following the crash. 'None of them had any monetary incentive to jump into a seething fire to drag me out,' he writes. 'The lengths to which they went to help me confounded me in the beginning. I was never a cynical man, but I had not expected such a deluge of selfless acts. It was humbling to get a glimpse of the inherent goodness in people.' Instead, Masud reserves his chastisement for the country's elite, who he argues hold a needlessly disparaging view of the common person. 'Unsurprisingly, the elite tend to see disasters as 'challenges to order, viewing masses as irrational, panic-prone, and likely to loot and even murder',' he writes, citing scholar John F. Freie. The country's policies, Masud contends, 'would be much more humane if our ruling elite internalised the idea that the masses are generally good.' Ultimately, 'Seat 1C' is a call to introspection urging us to examine how individual attitudes, institutional failures and deep-seated societal biases converge to shape the fate of our nation. Through candid confessions and an unflinching gaze at both personal and collective shortcomings, Masud offers readers a rare blend of humility and hope. In recounting the tragedy of PK8303, he crafts a larger argument for renewal grounded in the belief that even amid devastation, resilience and goodness endure. A final lesson that emerges from his book is that genuine progress begins not with cynicism but with trust in the better instincts of our people.
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Express Tribune
'30 seconds between life and death changed my life'
Bank of Punjab president Zafar Masud, who is one of the two survivors of PIA plane crash near Karachi Airport in May 2020, penned down the details of last 30 seconds he experienced before being rescued in a book titled Seat 1C. Masud's book was launched at National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi. The ceremony was attended by another survivor Zubair Ahmed, relatives of victims and people from different walks of life. Addressing the ceremony, Zafar Masud said it a matter of fact that the plane crash experience can never be compared with any other ordeal in life. The duration of 30 seconds between the life and death was crucial and he learnt a lot from those 30 seconds and jotted down in the book. "The events of my childhood, youth and other phases of life flashed into my mind when the game of my life was going to be over," said Masud. "I started talking to myself. In fact, I started talking to Allah that everything came to an end. However, I had a feeling that I would escape. I had a firm belief in Allah and He did not want to inflict this pain to my parents. Allah saved me miraculously," said Masud. "When I was taken to hospital, I asked for a phone to inform my parents. I learnt a lesson from the incident that I should always keep my feet on the ground while flying in the air. I tried my level best to avoid writing the book in a dramatic style but I tried to inform the readers about the actual details without hurting anyone," he added. Narrating details, Masud said, "The fire was about to reach the spot where I fell along with seat. Luckily, the rescue workers reached out to me and rescued me."
