Pakistan’s khaki establishment must decide whether security of citizens of Pakistan is the objective, or their priority is welfare and housing projects of its personnel. All major airports at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Islamabad have had residences constructed within the no-construction zone, posing a threat to the safety of airline passengers. Every time one of these wide bodied jumbo aircraft takes off, lives of over 400 passengers is being jeopardised because of criminal greed of a few.
The construction of new town houses in Askari project, right on the fence of new Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, jeopardises the security of every Pakistani citizen and foreigner who travel by airlines that take off and land within a stone’s throw away from these residences.
There are rules made by ICAO which prohibit such construction within a sterile zone that extends from 5km to 10km around airport periphery. This rule has been deliberately and criminally violated by both Cantonment Board and CAA Pakistan.
Why should army welfare housing projects be built on the fencing of an international airport, although this poses a potential threat by terrorists? Taking cue from this unauthorised construction, some private construction companies have also launched such projects in the prohibited area.
The CAA Pakistan, which has been monopolised by retired uniformed officers, is guilty because its officials stood to gain from such residential welfare projects.
Construction of such houses also adds to the birds’ activities in the area that already pose a threat to the safety of aircrafts. Have we not learnt any lessons from the security lapses at Faisal Air Base and PNS Mehran because of the proximity of residential projects that have mushroomed there?
SHAHZAD KHALIL
Sialkot