In Seat 1C: A Survivor’s Tale of Hope, Resilience and Renewal, Zafar Masud recounts his miraculous survival in the 2020 crash of PIA Flight 8303—one of Pakistan’s deadliest air disasters, claiming 97 lives. But instead of focusing on personal trauma or sensationalism, Masud uses the tragedy as a lens to examine the institutional dysfunctions that enabled it.
Set against the eerie quiet of the Covid-19 lockdown, the crash became a grim metaphor. For Masud—then newly appointed CEO of the Bank of Punjab and one of only two survivors—the disaster was not just an aviation failure. It was the predictable result of a system where arrogance, negligence, and blind adherence to ritual override professionalism and accountability.
Masud offers a sharp critique of the decisions that led to the tragedy: the pilot’s disregard for protocol, ground control’s absence on the last Friday of Ramadan, and the casual abandonment of safety standards. He also reflects on the broader culture that allowed such lapses—a culture where competence is often sidelined in favour of connections, and rules are treated as optional.
What makes Seat 1C compelling is its refusal to indulge in victimhood or lofty idealism. Masud presents his survival not as heroism but as an act of grace. He honours fellow survivor Mohammad Zubair for his courage and presence of mind. Most movingly, he praises the ordinary citizens who risked their lives to rescue him—proof, he argues, of society’s deep well of goodness.
Masud argues that it is not the public who fail the nation, but the elite who perpetuate cynicism and hoard trust and resources. His call is not for miracles but for institutional reform, cultural change, and renewed faith in people over broken systems.
Ultimately, Seat 1C is less a memoir and more a national reckoning. With clarity and humility, Masud makes a powerful case: that Pakistan’s progress requires not just hope or luck, but truth, courage, and a reawakening of collective responsibility.
Published in The Nation on May 2, 2025 by Dr. Intikhab Ulfat
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