Every individual, parliamentarian, bureaucrat, uniformed officer, airline employee, must submit to airport screening
LAHORE: This is apropos your report about the inauguration of the airport integrated security system installed by the National Engineering and Scientific Council of Pakistan in Lahore. It is a welcome step in the right direction, given the security breaches that have occurred previously. It must be noted, however, that mere installation of a system without thorough security cleansing of existing commercial set-ups within airports’ sensitive areas, with 24/7 monitoring of the Airport Security Force, customs, immigration and airline employees and a curb on senseless protocol services, will render this whole exercise useless.
Almost all attacks at airports have occurred with insider connivance. Recently, a passenger was handed gold and cash by an employee of a shop owned by a powerful criminal, at Lahore airport’s international departure lounge. The ease with which someone like the model Ayan managed to evade detection on numerous such departures from Karachi airport — and the fact that between 2010 and 2012, there was no documented record of landings and departures by non-scheduled airlines or their cargo, passengers and crew — does not bode well for aviation security in this country. Frequently, we hear about deportees arriving and managing to flee after landing in Pakistan. The installation of an integrated security system can only achieve results if those monitoring it are clean and free from political pressures. Every individual, whether a parliamentarian, bureaucrat, uniformed officer or airline employee, must submit to mandatory screening at airports within Pakistan, just like they do when they arrive or depart from other foreign international airports.
M T Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2015.
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