Hats off to the brave boys of ASF who did not allow the enemy to accomplish its mission.
FORMER DG ASF: Pakistan’s largest commercial airport came under an intense two-pronged terrorist attack on the night of June 8. This was the first serious attack of its kind on a commercial airport in Pakistan. Earlier, similar attacks were launched on the Mehran Naval Air Base and the Kamra Airforce Base with heavy loss of life and property, including loss of expensive state-of-the-art military aircraft. All commercial airports of the country are protected by the Airport Security Force (ASF). The Karachi airport, being the largest, has 3,000-plus uniformed personnel to safeguard its ‘restricted areas’ in shifts that include the terminal buildings, cargo area, hangars, apron and runways, car park and perimeter fence. It is headed by a serving brigadier seconded to the MOD (now the Aviation Division). The elite Air Guard Company, although no more active on commercial flights, is now retained to provide special commando tasks/operations like anti-terror activities, etc. Overall, the members of this force are highly professional and committed to their task.
This attack was just as the 1986 Pan Am hijacking, where the perpetrators, disguised in ASF uniforms and travelling in official transport, managed to drive right up to the aircraft, about to take off. Since then, the ASF undertook a drastic revamping of its organisation and performance within the perimeters spelled out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. What happened on the night between June 8 and June 9 was a story of extreme valour and bravery by a bunch of young dedicated ASF boys who immediately took necessary steps to plug the penetration and contain the intruders. It was only the ASF forces who were fighting the terrorists during the first hour. When the terrorists approached the entry gate dressed in ASF uniform, they were challenged as per routine by the guards on duty, who were unfortunately killed by the terrorists. However, the ASF commandos (the Quick Reaction Force) reacted within minutes and managed to restrict the intruders to the cargo building and adjoining areas, fighting and getting killed in the process. A major disaster was averted by the ASF. Had the terrorists managed to reach the apron, given that they were equipped with rockets that would have destroyed all the aircraft, they would have entered the passenger terminal and inflicted casualties. Hats off to the brave boys of ASF who did not allow the enemy to accomplish its mission!
Brig (retd.) Naveed Nasar Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2014.
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