The Hijack Podcast with Owen Bennett-Jones cover art

The Hijack

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The Hijack

By: Owen Bennett-Jones, India Rakusen
Narrated by: Owen Bennett-Jones
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About this listen

 In 1981, PK326 was on a routine domestic flight from Karachi, Pakistan when it was hijacked and diverted to Afghanistan. The 148 passengers were then held at gunpoint for 13 days in what turned into one of the longest hijackings in history. The hijackers claimed to be fighting for democracy and demanded the release of political prisoners. But when Pakistan’s Military dictator General Zia refused, the killing began.

Veteran journalist Owen Bennett-Jones investigates what happened inside the plane, who the hijackers were really working for, and digs deep into the political crisis in Pakistan that led to the hijacking.

This series contains some strong language and scenes that some listeners may find disturbing.

©2021 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC True Crime
Episodes
  • Episode 1

    Episode 1
    May 20 2021
    A routine domestic flight preparing for take-off, a broken metal detector, and three nervous men rushing to the departure date.
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    25 mins
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  • Episode 2

    Episode 2
    May 20 2021
    The plane is on Soviet soil surrounded by tanks and guns. But whose side are the authorities on, the passengers or the hijackers?
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    28 mins
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  • Episode 3

    Episode 3
    May 20 2021
    The hijackers’ demands, the political prisoners and the fight for democracy.
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    29 mins
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Dear Listener,

What am I excited for you to discover in this story?
"The 1981 hijack of PK 326 by three young men as it flew from Karachi to Peshawar set in motion a tense drama for the world’s media. But behind the headlines there was so much more going on. For the hijackers it was a chance to escape working-class lives and become world famous. For the organizer—son of the hanged socialist leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto—there was the hope of avenging his father’s death at the hands of a military dictator and even of restoring democracy. For the politicians and generals who had to react to the hijacking, there was the issue of whether their regime’s authority would be fatally undermined by making concessions. But most of all, for the hijacked passengers there was the question: who would live and who would die?" –Owen Bennett-Jones, author of The Hijack
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Watch the trailer for The Hijack

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About the Creator and Performer

Owen Bennett-Jones is a multi-award-winning freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC presenter, he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi, and Beirut. His first book, on the history of Pakistan, is now its third edition. His podcast on the murder of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, The Assassination, was given a gold award at the British podcast awards. Most recently, he wrote a history on Pakistan's Bhutto dynasty, published by Yale University Press. He has taught at Princeton University and the University of South California.

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All stars
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A true story, well told. However, OBJ seems totally ignorant of the violent and corrupt nature of PPP politics (and Pakistani politics in general ) & thinks them to be some kind of liberal Democrats. Consequently he seems surprised when he learns of the central role & use of money and muscle from ex-student activists. True, Zia was a brutal dictator who cultivated & let loose the virus of Islamic fundamentalism in such a way that Pakistan was chanted forever, but OBJ constantly tries to find moral equivalency between the actions of the hijackers and the illegitimate government of Zia, which is a bit disturbing.
Perhaps for reasons of space, we learn very little about Murtaza Bhutto and his apparently hare-brained organization, the AZO. I am aware that OBJ has written a book about the Bhutto clan, so this glancing and anemic look at the Bhuttos is mystifying.

Superb storytelling.. if a bit naive

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I listened to this not knowing what to expect, but I gained a lot of insight into the aftermath of traumatic events and how victims of those events handle it. Some are devastated for the rest of their lives while others more or less shrug it off.

The story also shows how our choices can affect us and our families for the rest of our/their lives.

Very Insightful and Well Done

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these audible originals are getting better and better. time to look for a new one.

Whoa....

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This ten episode podcast shows a lot of the potential of the podcast medium as Bennett-Jones explores what occurs when three men hijacked airplane in 1981 in an effort to force democratization in Pakistan. In many ways, the cause is one that reverberates well in western civilization—the quest for political freedom and the rights that come with it—however, kidnapping and murder are not tools that human rights advocates favor. In each of the ten episodes, Bennett-Jones explores the background to the crisis and the day-by-day development of the event through a combination of narration and actual interviews with survivors and even one of the hijackers. The whole thing is a tragedy however you look at it, but the podcast is absolutely riveting.

A Great History Podcast

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It was a very interesting story and the announcer was not nice to listen to and put the story together well..

very interesting story.

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This is about complexity, grief and how the decision of one impacts so many. Beautifully done.

Not just about a hijacking

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As someone that still suffers with PTSD due to an event the occurred over 40 years ago I truly empathize with Jeffrey. While I would never traumatize my fellow human beings as he did, I do understand his deep need for other people to FEEL the earth shattering experience of what I suffered thru. While our experiences are very different, there are some things that occur in life that forever change you to your very core, And to walk away from this hijacking not psychologically damaged in some way would have been a miracle. You want people to understand what you've been through, to share your grief. I used to think that if enough time passed, if I thought about it enough, if I talked about it enough, it would release me. I'm still waiting.
I hope that the survivors of the hijacking have found some semblance of peace.

Empathy

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This is a brilliant piece of work. It’s strength lies in the braiding together of a gripping plot, fascinating characters, and provocative and thoughtful ideas. Very high production values.

Brilliant!

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Amazing 10 episodes. Every detail is very well documented and delivered. Kudos to Owen Benett Jones!

Exhilarating

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This was very well done. It had an ending that lived up to the build up. So many lately, especially true crime, have this big hype which basically ends with "we don't know what happened". I'm sure this event has many more stories given all the people involved, but he interviews enough to give you the picture of what happened from all points of view.

Best Audible in a long time

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