The book, “Seat 1C: A Survivor’s Tale of Hope, Resilience of Renewal”, authored by PIA crash survivor Zafar Masud was unveiled during an event organised by “MILKAR” in Karachi on Saturday.
The Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman Foundation (MKRF), in partnership with British Asian Trust, launched the nationwide campaign “MILKAR” to address mental health issues in Pakistan last year.
The “MILKAR campaign is intended to create awareness, remove stigma, raise red flags, profile success stories and facilitate the provision of help”.
Speaking on the occasion, Masud said: “Don’t look at mental health from a single perspective as it has many aspects.”
He advised that after experiencing a trauma or an accident, one should not ignore it even if one is strong. He further urged those who went through a trauma to visit a doctor.
“Luck and hope matter, but to overcome trauma, you must take positive measures,” he added.
He urged people not to ignore their responsibilities in the name of values or traditions.
In his book, Masud, one of the two survivors of the crash of the PIA plane in Karachi in 2020, discussed the impacts of traumatic events on human lives. The book also discusses his post-crash experiences, his recovery journey and the author’s autobiography.
A large number of people from different walks of life attend the event.
In the tragic incident on May 22, 2020, 97 passengers and crew members were killed when a Lahore to Karachi-bound PIA flight, PK-8303, crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony. However, two passengers on board the ill-fated plane miraculously survived.
Recalling the moments of the tragedy, Muhammad Zubair, the second survivor of the plane crash, said: “The entire plane was on fire, I miraculously survived.
“I still can’t believe that I walked to the hospital after the crash,” he added.
“Even today, I feel fear during takeoff and landing,” said Zubair.
