ISLAMABAD: A petition was filed against the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday for committing acts of gross and criminal negligence for not providing minimum emergency medical equipment, facilities and services, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of passengers at Pakistani airports.
The petition has been filed by renowned lawyers, SM Zafar and Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, both of whom have been ex-law ministers of Pakistan and former presidents of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) of Pakistan, as a direct consequence of a sudden and tragic death of Syed Tariq Zafar, former’s son and latter’s brother, at Jinnah Terminal, Karachi Airport.
The petition has been filed through Mehmood Y. Mandviwalla, Advocate in the High Court of Sindh at Karachi claiming that CAA had no doctor nor any emergency medical equipment, facilities and services available at Karachi Airport on the fateful day when Syed Tariq Zafar suffered a cardiac arrest and lost his life at Karachi Airport.
The petitioners allege that the CAA breached the duty of care it owes to all persons using airports in Pakistan; in this case specifically Syed Tariq Zafar whose life could have been saved had CAA been able to provide medical emergency, equipment, facilities and services at airports under its management and control.
In the petition it is stated that at the time of the occurrence there was no doctor, or any of the following were available at the airport i.e. emergency medical facilities and services, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), stretchers or standby ambulance.
It is contended that the CAA has failed to provide inter alia the following: (i) adequately trained doctors, medical staff and facilities at airports under its control; (ii) Cardiac Resuscitation Stations (CRSs) or AEDs and other emergency equipment at airports under its direction and control; and (iii) stretchers, standby ambulances or even general Standard Operating Procedures for meeting such medical emergency situations.
The petition invokes the jurisdiction of the High Court citing a matter of grave public importance, involving enforcement of fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan, particularly with respect to the right to life and the right to safety, as guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan. The Petition also suggests several recommendations for the CAA to consider and implement to ensure such gross criminal negligence does not result in the loss of another human life.
Directions have been sought from the Sindh High Court to take action against CAA and its officials for their criminal and gross negligence in failing to provide proper medical emergency facilities and services.