The national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been operating without any air marshals (in-flight security officials) for almost two decades, raising fears of hijackings and other subversive activities from anti-social elements masquerading as passengers on domestic and international flights, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources, the PIA used to have air marshals on both domestic and international flights for many years to counter aircraft hijackings and ensure safe mobility of passengers, but later on in-flight security was limited only to considerably sensitive destinations, notably India, Sri Lanka and Kabul.
While estimates put the total number of airplane hijackings around 130 after international air travel became commonplace, as many as seven incidents of illegal seizure of planes involving Pakistan have taken place so far.
Many international and local airlines in different countries have been faced with grave threats after international terrorist groups Daesh or ISIS brought down a Russian plane in Sinai area of Egypt in October last year, killing all 224 passengers and crew on board.
Many countries, including Israel and the United States, had taken drastic security measures post 9/11 to ensure safety of passengers and crew members. The Pakistan government had at the time decided to boost in-flight security and, as a result a batch of 50 officials was given rigorous training, but none of them was taken on board.
A senior pilot Pakistan Today talked to said that not only the national flag carrier but private airlines operating between major cities also did not have any security officials on board. “I am unable to comment why authorities have stopped carrying guards on airplanes when all foreign airlines follow this practice religiously,” said the pilot, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Another pilot held the view that there was not much need to carry in-flight security since every passenger was well scrutinised by the Airport Security Force (ASF) before boarding a plane.
The spokesperson for the PIA was however unable to answer why the PIA had stopped carrying air marshals on it flights, and said security officials might know.
When posed the same question, sources in the ASF said that although all airports were equipped with well trained personnel, modern communication systems, latest screening machines and CCTV cameras, threats of hijacking, bombing or any other terrorist activity remained. “It is very hard to guarantee that all flights are secured,” they said.
The sources further said that the PIA had halted in-flight security because of financial constraints and issues relating to seats reserved for these guards.
The government had considered carrying security personnel belonging to the ASF after a PIA plane was hijacked on March 02, 1981. The plane – travelling from Karachi to Peshawar – was diverted to Kabul by three hijackers who later succeeded in getting their demands fulfilled.
After in-flight security had been deployed, an attempt to assassinate Pakistan People Party’s MNA Ilyas Jutt was foiled. The PPP leader was travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad then after attending a session of the National Assembly. This rare incident took place on August 24, 1995 soon after the plane had taken off. The security officials on board shot dead the two assailants who attacked Ilyas Jutt with scissor and eraser in the shaving kit.
Nevertheless, the government stopped carrying security personnel on flights on January 1, 1998 and just after a few months on May 25, 1998 terrorists belonging to the Baloch Students’ Organisation (BLO) attempted to hijack a Fokker plane with 33 passengers on board. However, this attempt was foiled as pilot efficiently landed the plane in Hyderabad.