KARACHI: As a knee-jerk reaction to the terrorist attack on Karachi airport the Civil Aviation Authority is learnt to have “temporarily” suspended porter service at the airports and the porters have been assigned security duties.

While the decision will add to the problems of the travellers, particularly those needing assistance, it will also make security vulnerable by putting untrained personnel on strategic duties.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, CAA spokesperson Abid Kaimkhani confirmed that the porter service had been suspended at airports. But, he said, elderly persons or women in need of the service could approach the CAA information counter and ask for porters and the official concerned would arrange the facility after assessing the condition of the passenger.

He said there were around 3,500 porters at various airports. Earlier they were working on daily wages, but on court orders their services were regularised and now they were regular and permanent employees of CAA with wages ranging between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000.

He said that they would not be terminated, but would be transferred to other CAA departments according to their qualification. Some of them are graduates.

He, however, was not sure when the service would be offered again and said that it had been suspended temporarily. He said that the porter service was not available in other countries and was available only at Pakistani airports.

The authority’s CBA Union chief Mohammad Adil said that passengers – particularly women with children and travelling alone, elderly people and the handicapped-- were facing difficulties because of absence of porters who were a great help to them.

He said porters had been assigned security duties and posted at entry gates. Porters, he added, are not trained for security duties which required special skills.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2014