Zafar Masud: Not Just a Survivor – A Witness, A Leader, A Mirror
MARGALLA TRIBUNE BEST OF 2025 | VOL 2 ISSUE: 12 | DECEMBER 2025
In this powerful cover story, published in July 2025, crash survivor and President of Bank of Punjab, Mr. Zafar Masud opens up about the miracle of survival and the leadership that follows.
See also: Zafar Masud Margalla Tribune – Cover Story
The Miracle of Survival
In an engaging and deeply emotional interview, Zafar Masud, President and CEO of the Bank of Punjab and one of only two survivors of the tragic PK-8303 plane crash, revisits the defining moments that reshaped his life. Speaking with disarming honesty, he reflects on the thirty seconds before the crash, the miracle of survival, and the quiet reckoning that follows when one is given a second chance at life. In conversation with Margalla Tribune, Mr. Masud talks about introspection, gratitude, and courage.
On the day of the crash, May 22, 2020—just two days before Eid—Mr. Masud recalls nothing extraordinary except an unexplainable urgency. He had rescheduled his flight from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to catch extra rest but woke early regardless. “Everything moved strangely fast that day,” he remembers. The next 30 seconds would divide his life into “before” and “after.”
When the plane went down, Mr. Masud’s first thought wasn’t about himself but about others still trapped inside. He believes three factors conspired to save him: the seat, the fall, and the kindness of people. Seated in 1C, near the emergency exit, he was thrown clear of the wreckage when the plane broke apart. His seat landed on a rooftop before sliding onto a car bonnet, softening the impact. Yet, he emphasizes it wasn’t luck alone: “Strangers risked their lives to pull me out… They just heard someone crying for help.”
The Journey to Recovery
For Mr. Masud, survival became a call to purpose. The aftermath was far from cinematic; as his body healed, emotional and mental recovery became the real battle. “If you’re mentally strong, you can face pain. But no one recovers alone,” he reflects, noting that his family, friends, and colleagues became his lifeline. “Recovery is not about resilience; it’s about your ecosystem. Love heals faster than medicine.”
Breaking long-held corporate taboos, Mr. Masud spoke openly about his mental health journey and trauma. He committed to four months of therapy before resuming work, highlighting self-assessment as a core aspect of responsible leadership. He views psychotherapy not as a weakness but as an essential part of leadership.
Seat 1C: A Story of Transformation
Writing his memoir, Seat 1C, became a cathartic release and a confrontation with memory. Each page forced him to relive moments he would rather have forgotten, but the purpose was to reflect on human vulnerability and strength rather than to sensationalize the crash.
At the heart of the book is a haunting question: What do you see in the last 30 seconds before impact? For Mr. Masud, those seconds felt like a lifetime condensed—childhood, relationships, and professional milestones flashing in sequence. He realized that in such moments, it is not divine judgment but self-judgment that prevails.
“So, if there’s one takeaway, it’s this: live in such a way that when those last 30 seconds come, you’re able to forgive yourself.”
Ultimately, survival carries a sacred responsibility. It shifts priorities from chasing titles to valuing time, kindness, and integrity. He views leadership as a practice of accountability to oneself and others. His message is a call for mindful living: to make course corrections now and become the person you would want to meet at the end.