Rumour about firing: All our planes are safe, says airport manager

PESHAWAR:

A senior airport official on Saturday shot down media reports  of an airliner coming under fire moments before its landing on the Bacha Khan International Airport (BKIA) on Saturday night.

Tahir Sikander, airport manager BKIA, told The Express Tribune that it was not an attack but celebratory firing in Masho Khel and Suliman Khel area on the outskirts of the city, which was mistaken as an attack by local police.

“All our aircraft are safe. It is Saturday night and it is a local tradition to celebrate by means of aerial firing,” he said, adding that such reports in media were spreading rumours.

SSP Operations Najeebur Rehman Bagvi also said that they had contacted the airport authorities and there was no such attack nor any casualty.

Earlier, news broke that a PIA airliner coming from Saudi Arabia had come under attack soon before its landing — no casualty was reported.

Local Badhaber police had reported that the aircraft was attacked from three locations simultaneously which was strongly denied by police high ups and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Meanwhile, ASI Hayatabad Shaukat Kamal was reported dead, while two other people were injured, when unknown miscreants opened fire at the worshippers offering prayers inside a mosque in Bar Kanady, Pir Bala.

Police said that it could be a case of terrorism and the injured had been identified as Saleem and Azizur Rehman.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2014.