NA STANDING COMMITTEE ON CABINET SECRETARIAT DIRECTS ASF TO INTRODUCE STRINGENT SECURITY PROCEDURES TO PREVENT SMUGGLING OF DRUGS

Islamabad; November 11, 2016: Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat expressing its displeasure on the state of inquiry order into the recovery and seizure of 27 kg Heroine from PIA Aircraft, decided to bring the issue into the notice of Prime Minister of Pakistan for necessary instruction to the concerned departments for bringing the culprits behind the bars. The Committee expressed its displeasure on lack of coordination between departments responsible for security and smuggling prevention on Airports. The Committee met under the chairmanship of Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, MNA in Parliament House, this morning.

The Representative of Custom Intelligence apprised the Committee that two of the accused as identified by Joint Investigation Committee had been arrested, whereas efforts were being made to arrest the remaining accused. It was further informed that M/o Interior had been requested to place the names of all accused on ECL and details of properties and bank accounts of the absconders have been sought from State Bank of Pakistan and Baharia Town for further appropriate legal action against them and their associates/facilitators.

The Committee observed that there was lack of coordination between the departments responsible for security of Airports, prevention of smuggling and Narcotics which resulted in recovery of huge quantity of drugs from PIA aircraft. The committee directed concerned departments for strengthening of coordination, vigilance and mechanism for countering air carriage of drugs and contrabands to foreign countries. The Committee also directed Airport Security Force to enforce stringent security procedures to prevent recurrence of such instances in future. The committee decided to discuss the issue in its next meeting.

Later, the Chief Executive Operating Officer, Pakistan International Airline briefed the committee about the financial state of PIA and its plan for induction of new aircrafts. The CEO apprised that under the guidance of the present government, PIA was in process of recovery and its financial state had improved besides improvement in flight operation, and passenger facilitation. He further apprised that due to initiation of PIA Premier Service from Lahore and Islamabad, the airline was gaining its market share which it lost during turbulent period. He informed that presently PIA was operating with 33 aircrafts which would be brought to 50 till June, 2018 and flights to major destinations would also be started. The Committee directed PIA administration to give a detailed briefing on financial state of the airline in its next meeting.

The meeting was attended by MNAs; Malik Ibrar Ahmed, Ms. Parveen Masood Bhatti, Ms. Nighat Parveen, Ms. Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, Ms. Farhana Qamar, Mr. Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Dr. Mahreen Razaque Bhutto, Moulvi Agha Muhammad and Syed Ali Raza Abidi, Joint Secretary Aviation Division and Representatives from FBR, ANF, ASF and other senior officers of the concerned departments.