I’m one of those people who leaves home three-and-a-half hours before my flight is meant to leave. For a 6:15 am departure, means being in the car at 2:45 in the morning. There is some attempt to sleep — basically a three hour ‘nap’ or a euphemism for tossing and turning. In these less than ideal circumstances we are not amused by anything.
Cut to Sharae Faisal and the turn into Quaid-i-Azam International Airport. The fact that Pakistan’s so-called city of lights is now unable to power streetlights does not help visibility or my crankiness. My car takes a sharp turn on detecting a small green signpost. Ah, here it comes — the drive up to departures and the security check points along the way.
The forces-in-black have taken over airport security, I noticed. They could be the envy of many a fashion bloggers in their fitted black T-shirts, tan cargo pants and black commando boots. As my cab comes to a respectful stop, like a dark cloud three or four of them crowd around my cab. One of them carries what resembles a pocket radio with a long antenna protruding in front of him, and circles the cab while peering piercingly inside.
Another approaches the front window even though I am sitting at the back holding to the window my ticket, flipped open for the sake of convenience. But no, the man in the uniform is at the front window and without any warning, he begins to knock violently. ‘Open the door or roll down the window,’ he barks to an unfazed taxi driver. ‘How am I supposed to talk to you?’
I quickly wind down my window, and say, ‘Sir, I have my window down. I’m the passenger. Here’s my ticket.’
In all this, I had forgotten that I am a woman, and am therefore, invisible in this country. Oh ho. Me and my leaky brain. My companion, also a woman but clearly with more presence of mind, jumps out of the car, and asks what the problem is. Panic ensues. The forces in black are not prepared for this. One of them starts to apologise. Another looks cocky, and says that he needs to check the bags.
Apparently the pocket radio with the protrusion has indicated that we might be Pakistan’s first pair of female suicide bombers. I’m not sure about our intrepid man-in-uniform, but I am completely aware that the device does not just look absurd, it also does not work, which is why it has been shipped off to our great country. It seems that the third world is now the dumping ground for all useless security tech equipment. The antenna of this specific device picks up on all things liquid so if you’re mildly interested in hygiene and are carrying shampoo, conditioner or God forbid, face wash, it’s all over for you, my friend.
My friend unzips the cabin bag, and points to the laptop. ‘Maybe that’s the problem,’ she says.
‘Turn it on. Turn it on,’ snaps the cocky one while at the same moment the other says, ‘Forget it. Forget it. Please. You may go.’
Wisely, my friend follows the directive of the authoritative officer. Then the unthinkable happened. My poor pristine Mac, scrubbed and polished like a newborn baby was mauled. The screen flopped open, it was turned upside down, back and forth with the roughest hands. Mac will never be the same again.
I’m not sure what he was looking for, but apparently my laptop’s ‘backside’ revealed that we were not the terrorists we had seemed to be moments earlier. As my companion returned to the car, and we drove away, I glanced at the apologetic security person. On the left of his T-shirt above his heart was written in white ‘PAKISTAN,’ and circling it were the words ‘nice’ and ‘courteous’.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2010.
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**VERY VERY FINE **As a former DG ASF (Airport Security Force), I could not help noticing Naveen Naqvi’s article on her security check experience while driving up to Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. This was probably part of a series of security checks subjected to passengers by the ASF, before they board an aircraft. I was not really perturbed by her article, probably because I was used to hearing continuous flow of such complaints, objections and reservations of people in the past. However, I am glad to read the comments generally offered by most readers, who stand in support of an effective security at airports. In my humble opinion, ASF is doing an excellent job in the most professional manner. They are courteous yet firm in their handling of passengers. What they need is complete cooperation from everybody, so that they are then able to make airports and flying safe, especially under the current threat environment in the country. ASF is responsible for safeguarding all airports in Pakistan, which includes guarding the restricted areas of airports, parking lots, all areas within the perimeter fence including the runways, screening and scanning of all passenger baggage and frisking of all passengers, staff and crew members boarding an aircraft. This is no mean task, considering the huge volume of passengers and their baggage, airline crew and airport employees who undergo security checks each day. Consider for a while the fact, that while no other place in the country including a few high security zones have been spared from the terrorist attack, the airports and air travel have. We, therefore, need to show more patience and tolerance towards personnel of airport security force, who are trained to carryout this thankless job round the clock, for our own safety.