13-07-2025
Pakistani man buys ticket to Karachi, wakes up in Saudi Arabia, sues Airline: 'blamed me for the mistake'
In a bizarre travel blunder that has sparked headlines in Pakistan, a domestic passenger bound for Karachi ended up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, despite not carrying a passport or visa. The incident has raised serious questions about security and verification procedures at Lahore airport.
The passenger, Shahzain, had booked a routine domestic flight from Lahore to Karachi with a private airline. But instead of landing in the southern Pakistani city, he found himself on international soil in Jeddah, without even realising he had boarded the wrong flight.
'Two planes were parked at the domestic terminal gate. I handed over my ticket, and no one stopped me. I only realised something was wrong two hours into the flight,' Shahzain told ARY News.
According to him, airline staff failed to verify his boarding pass properly or notice the absence of international travel documents. 'When I asked why we hadn't reached Karachi, the crew panicked and blamed me for the mistake,' he said, adding that he was later informed it could take up to three days to arrange his return.
Shahzain has now issued a legal notice to the airline, accusing it of gross negligence and demanding compensation for the ordeal, including travel costs and emotional distress.
The legal fiasco has also caught the attention of Pakistan's airport authorities. According to reports, the Lahore Airport Management has held the airline accountable for the lapse and has submitted a formal request for disciplinary action.
A senior airport official told ARY News, 'This is a clear case of negligence and carelessness on the airline's part. The passenger had no passport or visa. He should never have been allowed on an international flight.'
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is expected to conduct an inquiry into how a passenger without valid travel documents cleared boarding and ended up overseas.
The airline has not yet issued an official statement.
