An entire shift of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) fire fighters was suspended after the Defence secretary found them looking more relaxed than ready at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik ordered CAA authorities to suspend 10 fire fighters who were present on duty on Saturday as they were not even wearing their uniforms, said a BBIA official.
The secretary was returning from Lahore and decided to pop in to the fire station at the airport after landing. Upon finding the staff wearing street clothes, Gen Malik directed BBIA Airport Manager Ashfaq Hussain to suspend them.
Following the orders of the secretary, the CAA director general formed a three-member committee to look into the matter, the official said.
The official said that the fire fighting staff had complained to the secretary about a shortage of staff and urged the authorities to fill vacant posts.
Under CAA rules, the fire staff at all airports must be in uniform and ready with fire trucks ready to go during every take off and landing.
The Express Tribune repeatedly tried to contact BBIA Airport Manager Ashfaq Hussain and left a message for him, but no response was provided.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2012.
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