Wazir also filed a civil suit asking for the suspension of CAA’s notice, but it was turned down by a civil court in Chitral, says an official of the aviation authority.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has threatened to shut down all air operations at the Chitral Airport following the alleged illegal construction of a house within the limits of the airport runway by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rehmatullah Wazir.
A letter was sent by the authority to K-P Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir on January 9, saying DC Wazir has been violating the National Airfield Clearance Police and Federal Land Building Possession Act LIV, 1965.
It further maintains that despite holding several meetings with Wazir, asking him to stop the construction which would put lives of passengers in danger, he still continued to build the house. He was served a notice, but in vain, it adds. The authority also alleged Wazir of giving threats to the airport manager.
CAA served a legal notice to Wazir on June 11 for allegedly constructing a house hardly 200 feet from the airport runway, saying the law states that around 750 feet on either sides of the runway should always remain clear.
The DCO, however, said he was not the only one and “there are hundreds of others who reside in the area.” He termed the issue a “private matter” and said the land had been gifted to him by the royal family of Chitral.
Wazir also filed a civil suit asking for the suspension of CAA’s notice, but it was turned down by a civil court in Chitral, said an official of the aviation authority. He added that Wazir later managed to obtain a stay order on the notice asking him to stop construction from the district court.
“We have [received] clear instructions from the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and besides, it is the CAA’s responsibility to ensure passenger safety,” said the official, adding that this was the reason for bringing the issue to the notice of the K-P chief secretary.
He stressed that if Wazir refused to stop and demolish the illegal construction, the authority would be left with no other option than to cease operations. “We will never compromise on the lives of our passengers.”
The issue was also raised by CAA’s senior legal advisor Obaid-ur-Rehman Abbasi during the Airblue crash case hearing before PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan on January 17.
The court asked Abbasi to file an application, but Abbasi replied saying Wazir had been served a notice which had been suspended by the district court in Chitral.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2013.
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