For wife's love, Pak man tears up passport to get off plane

A Pakistani man tore up his passport in a bid to get off an Italy-bound flight after getting a phone call from his distressed wife who was upset about his decision to go abroad, officials said today.

Faisal Ali, a resident of Gujrat district of Punjab province, tore up the passport minutes before the Pakistan International Airlines flight was to take off from Lahore airport yesterday.

Ali got his boarding card and entered the plane.

However, he disembarked minutes later and informed immigration authorities that he had lost his passport, officials said.

When he was interrogated by officials, Ali revealed he had acted out of "love for his wife".
He told officials that his wife was "very upset" about his decision to go abroad.

Ali said he decided not to travel after his wife telephoned him while he was in the plane and began crying.

"I decided to leave the aircraft after hearing my wife crying on the phone. I tore up my passport so that I can never even think of leaving my beloved wife," Ali was quoted as saying by an official.

Authorities released Ali after recovering his torn passport.