Investigation into affairs of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) disclosed the illegal use of fire station bowsers for supply of water at houses of CAA high-ups, it is reliably learnt.
It was revealed when the Deputy Airport Manager JIA Karachi Mansoob Ahmed Bukhari cancelled 1095 days ex-Pakistan leave of the Corporate Manager Air Traffic Section (ATS) CAA Zafar Aitmad Siddiqui, who was charged for usage of fire station bowser for supply of water at his residence in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Siddiqui had earlier applied for 1095 days ex-Pakistan leave, which was approved by the authority’s human resource department but after the Director General (DG) CAA formed a committee to probe into this matter, it was cancelled immediately. The deputy airport manager has stopped him to fly abroad and ordered him to appear before the investigation officer.
The DG observed violation of the international aviation laws when he found CAA water bowser, bearing registration number WB-37-8H, engaged in supplying water at Siddiqui’s house in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
Although, the DG CAA has started inquiry against Siddiqui, who had successfully got 1095 days ex-Pakistan leave after the involvement of influential persons on February 20, 2012. However, Siddiqui got ex-Pakistan leave by presenting an excuse of visit to Asmara Eritrea for settlement of his family, but he had not flown abroad even after the submission of his departure report to CAA. An official of CAA who wished not to be named told Pakistan Today that Siddiqui had got support of some of the influential persons in CAA and they were trying to save him.
The DG appointed CAA Manager Airside Pervez Akhtar Ansari as head of the inquiry committee, who is told to be a close friend of Siddiqui, he said, alleging that the inquiry head was trying to save him by disrupting investigation process. “During the flight operation, the CAA fire staff is assigned to be prepared for any emergency landing of planes and the staff has been given necessary apparatus including water bowser, snorkels and fire fighters, he said, adding that some of the CAA high-officials, using power, utilize water bowser for supply of water at their houses amid shortage of water in the city, which is a great violation of the international aviation laws.
Recalling one of the sad incidents, which took place in absence of water bowser, at the Walton Airport Lahore when a pilot of a Cessna aircraft burnt to death due to lack of water bowser, which was engaged in supplying water at the house of APM W/B Hafiz Zakawat Ullah. He said the same exercise was going on in CAA Karachi Station and it was feared that Siddiqui would be saved by his friend this time as well.
When approached for comments Zafar Aitmad Siddiqui said that the investigations were going on and he had no idea about it. “I have got 1095 ex-Pakistan leave for a foreign visit as I am regularly visiting abroad for family settlement,” he said. He also rejected the notion rejecting that he got long leaves to disrupt the investigation against him. “It is not a big dispute and investigation against any CAA official is a routine matter and I am hopeful that the matter would be resolved soon,” Siddiqui added.
