A few days ago the electronics ban on all US-bound flights was the subject of every Pakistani’s rage. Turns out, you can’t carry your laptops en route to any flight headed to the United States and can ONLY transport your beloved in check-in baggage.
According to the Associated Press, the ban covers all direct flights to the US from most of the major cities in the Middle East and North Africa, This includes Cairo, Jordan, Kuwait City, Morocco, Doha, Qatar, Riyadh and Jeddah, Istanbul, Turkey, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Unsurprisingly, Pakistanis were outraged because of the huge number of expats settled in the Middle East. And because it makes no sense AT ALL.
This ban poses a risk not only in the form of potential damage to your device but also raises concerns of being able to retrieve your laptop (and your check-in luggage) at all.
People were super over-whelmed by this “sanction” in the digital age.
There was those who visibly not bothered by the electronics ban and the respondent who said, “what ban? pehle visa tou dou”
@titojourno i'm too busy getting rejected for US visas to make it on a flight
— Nadir Hassan (@Nadir_Hassan) March 21, 2017
And those who were as concerned about their hefty investment as we are:
Wow so now I need to put my laptop in my check in luggage, what if the laptop is damaged? @EFF @ACLU are you guys doing anything about it? pic.twitter.com/5a5nL6T8Dz
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) March 22, 2017
And those who were absolutely enraged by this needless “security protocol”:
I wud rather fly without a laptop than fly US airlines who have crappy service & planes which belong to the 90s #electronicsban
— Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) March 21, 2017
In the midst of all this, PIA tweeted this image in an attempt to address all these fears:
Did you know? You can carry your laptop/tablets onboard US bound #PIA flights. pic.twitter.com/pc8g8Owo9G
— PIA (@Official_PIA) March 22, 2017
In a seemingly opportunistic manner, PIA reassured all the Pakistanis that the ban didn’t apply on the national carrier and we’re literally just:
One has to admit this was kinda, sorta brutal.
Regardless of whether this is a situational edge, whoever thought of this deserves a promotion.
Or a whole batch of brownies. Your pick, high ups in PIA.
Cover Image Source: Ibexmag