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Musharraf's plane returns to NY following bomb threat

A Correspondent in Karachi

An aeroplane carrying Pakistan's Chief Executive, Gen Pervez Musharraf, was forced to return to the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York soon after takeoff, following a bomb threat.

Soon after the Pakistan International Airlines Flight 722 took off with 121 passengers, an unidentified caller telephoned the airport authorities and informed them that a bomb was aboard the aircraft. The plane, which was bound for Manchester, England, and from thence to Karachi, returned to the airport soon after.

Port Authority spokesperson Alan Hicks said a caller to 911 dispatcher in NY warned of three bombs on Gen Musharraf's plane which would explode on takeoff. The pilot was warned of the threat, but authorities decided to go ahead with the flight since the aircraft and the baggage had already been checked for explosives.

However, as the plane neared Boston, the pilot decided that the aircraft needed to be re-examined and returned to New York, where it has been sequestered and all passengers alighted.

Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, has been quoted as saying that the plane could be delayed several hours.

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