Terrorists fire laser gun on PIA flight

The flight from Quetta to Lahore came under a high-beam laser gun attack from land when it was at the altitude of 14,000 feet. The pilot switched off the navigation lights in order to outmanoeuvre the attackers. The control room was immediately informed.After receiving the information, law enforcement agencies beefed up security and launched search operation. The secret agencies were also informed about the incident, as throwing of laser light on flights can have detrimental effects. It was the first of such reported attacks on a PIA flight. About 50 laser attacks on planes were reported last year in Russia, causing the State Duma to consider legislation making the attacks a crime punishable by seven to 10 years in prison.An Aeroflot plane with 128 people on board nearly crashed while landing in Barnaul after laser pointer was aimed at the cockpit.The pilot of the plane, which was arriving from Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, had told police that he barely averted a crash and that the lasers ray had remained in the cockpit almost until the plane touched down.