3 Pakistani Hijackers Held

Army commandos overpowered three men today who had hijacked a commercial plane with 29 people aboard and demanded to go to India, Defense Ministry officials said.

All passengers escaped unhurt, but initial reports said an army major received gunshot wounds.

Officials said the hijackers were protesting Pakistan’s reported plans to test a nuclear device in response to India’s atomic tests.

The Pakistani airliner was hijacked after it took off from the southwestern city of Gwadar, but an air force jet forced the plane to land in Hyderabad, about 90 miles northeast of Karachi.

The hijackers, who apparently believed that they were in India, were arrested after they left the plane, officials said.