Expected betrayals: Atal Bihari Vajpayee Accuses Pakistan for Indian Airlines Flight 814 Hijack

The Airbus was hijacked by 5 masked gunmen soon after it had entered Indian airspace. While the aircraft was in Dubai, Indian authorities wanted to assault the aircraft but were denied permission. The negotiations lasted for seven days and India ended up releasing three militants.

Militants around flight 814 (Source: Wikipedia)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee accused Pakistan for the hijack of Indian Airlines flight 814 on the 3rd of January 1999. It was an Airbus A300 which was enroute from Nepal to Delhi and was hijacked and flown to different locations before landing in Afghanistan.

The aircraft was hijacked by 5 gunmen soon after it entered Indian territory. The hijackers commanded the aircraft to various locations. First, it touched down in Amritsar and then Dubai. The aircraft was then forcibly landed at Kandahar, Afghanistan. After negotiations, 27 of 176 passengers were released in Dubai, a fatally stabbed passenger and several wounded among them.

The Kandahar Airport was under Taliban control, and the Taliban was working in collaboration with the ISI who initially acted as a mediator between the Indian govt and the hijackers. Indian Intelligence officials were convinced that the hijackers were aided by Dawood Ibrahim for access to the Tribhuwan International Airport at Kathmandu. The Taliban militiamen at the Kandahar airport, guarded the plane to prevent any intervention from Indian forces.

The hijacking was executed to provide release of Islamist figures who were imprisoned in India. The negotiations lasted for a week and India ended up releasing three militants, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and Masood Azhar.

While the aircraft was in Dubai, India wanted to assault the aircraft but were stopped by the UAE government. Home Minister LK Advani proposed against the idea of releasing the hijackers in exchange for the hostages, as he felt it would affect public opinion of the Indian administration.

Indian Airlines sent a relief plane to bring back 27 hostages out of which one had been killed in Dubai and another suffered a knife wound near the neck. The hostages were given irregular meals and with limited drinking and sanitation facilities.

Vajpayee accused Pakistan of the hijack since the hijack was carried on by people who resided in Pakistan. But, Pakistan dismissed the allegation imposed by Vajpayee.