File photo of Shahrukh Jatoi. PHOTO: PPI
The ease with which Shahrukh Jatoi, the prime suspect in Shahzeb Khan’s murder case, fled the country has exposed the fragile security arrangements in place at international airports across Pakistan.
It also reveals the thriving very important person (VIP) culture in the country - a proclaimed offender, if he or she is an ‘important person’, can slip out of the country virtually unstopped.
Escorted by a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) protocol officer, the suspect entered the airport in plain sight. He first walked past the Airport Security Force staff, then the Anti Narcotics Force guards and finally immigration officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Jatoi was able to board Emirates flight EK-605 for Dubai on December 27, 2012, despite the fact that the immigration staff at Jinnah International Airport Karachi were informed of his alleged involvement in Shahzeb’s murder in the Defence neighbourhood of Karachi.
Shahzeb was a relative of Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentarian Nabeel Gabol, who had informed the FIA about the murder. A complaint numbered 63/12 was duly noted in the agency’s airport register. Jatoi’s escape should have been impossible.
“Everyone just smiled and made way for them. It is a case of gross negligence and incompetence on the part of our staff,” said a senior FIA official.
“But more than anything else, it is the culture of entertaining VIPs that has brought us to this level.
“In this particular case, Jatoi did not have to come to the counter. No one bothered to stop him since it was led by the protocol officer. We found out what happened after checking the record of all the passengers who had boarded the flight,” the FIA official added.
The protocol officer casually went to the immigration staff and instead of submitting Jatoi’s passport for verification, handed over someone else’s passport number.
PIA has consequently suffered from the VIP culture.
A few years ago, PIA was gearing to launch direct flights to the US. The national carrier had the aircraft, passengers and airport slots to operate the flights. Everything was in place. But soon after, Washington’s representatives returned home with a damning report on security arrangements at Karachi airport. PIA was denied permission to operate flights to the US.
Since then, the airline’s top brass has tried in vain to convince the US Department of Homeland Security to grant it clearance to land at American airports.
“It was an embarrassing situation for us at the airport when US officials came to monitor security. There were a brigadier and a politician who passed the immigration officials without showing any identification,” said an aviation industry official.
“That was because they were being escorted by protocol officers, and the unspoken rule is you don’t stop anyone who is with the protocol officer. You just salute and let them pass,” the official added.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2013.
Correction: Shahzeb's name was earlier misspelt in the first paragraph. The error has been rectified.
COMMENTS (17)
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Can anyone please guess and advise how much was the cost of hiring the PIA protocol person? Much obliged for any guesses.
Just hand over Shahrukh Jatoi to the people of Pakistan. Let them do what they think is right with him.
u dont say...
The accepted saying is ' if you have connections and money you can commit murder and go home and sleep peacefully '.................lets hope this time the justice system proves this wrong.
Not so tough now eh you SOB!
Mr. Saad Hassan, please let us know the name of the PIA Protocol Officer on duty relevant to the case. SC remarked that the accused slipped past five agencies namely, ASF, Customs, Airline, Immigration Control, FIA. It appears PIA provided the icing on the cake.
The need of the hour is to improve the whole system and make it secure with multiple checks. The case at least opened the loopholes and measures must be taken to plug them.
Good story. Loved it
Escape of Shahrukh Jatoi, was not due to inefficiency or incompetence of the Airport authorities. As identified it was the VIP culture which has steadily increased since August 1947. Laws of the land are only for the poor and helpless, the rich and influential call them VIP or whatever, are always above the law and this is our fate.
"the prime suspect in Shahzed Khan’s" ..... Its Shahzeb Khan
Is that really important. For me its important that this guy gets hanged. These sidestories are just there to distract the audience from main theme.
Same way this murderer gets VIP treatment, bigger mass murderer of terrorist organisation gets VVIP treatment thanks to PML-N
When this feudal system will end up. This has been penetrated in our society, culture, values and norms. The ridiculous comment is "unspoken rule is you don’t stop anyone who is with the protocol officer". No accountability if an officer is escorting you, its mumbo jumboo.
Shameful .
and despicable VIP culture
The security arrangements do sound pretty terrible but one thing sort of stands out. It wasn't just bad security. The fact the officer gave a false passport number means it's worse. The officer knew what the situation was and it was a plan he was complicit in. It sounds like that even if security was a little better, it would have just caused them to use another method with inside help. One of the biggest issues is that officer and he's reduced to a footnote when he should be fired and charged with a crime.
The Chairman of PIA was serving as steward when BB came in power second time, and on her first flight towards Islamabad from Karachi- talk about VIP culture...