KARACHI: Mehmood Ahmed Niazi, a Civil Aviation Authority official who had been killed after being kidnapped from Jiwani airport on Sunday, was laid to rest at the CAA graveyard near Karachi airport on Monday, while the wounded official was admitted to a private hospital here on Stadium Road.

The body of Mr Niazi, in his 50s, was airlifted to the metropolis and taken to his home in CAA flats, situated near the Karachi airport old terminal, a day after the militants had killed him and dumped his body in a mountainous area in Balochistan.

He was was official in charge of Jiwani airport installations.

After his funeral at a mosque near his home, which was also attended by senior officials of the CAA, he was laid to rest at the graveyard near the airport.

He served in the CAA for more than 30 years during which he was mostly posted at airports in Balochistan, family members said.

“He originally hailed from Sargodha but had settled in Karachi decades ago,” said one of the family members. “He was a dedicated worker and neither denied nor opposed his posting at any of the airports in Balochistan despite the security risk and vulnerability.

“He had resumed his duty just 10 days back after staying on leave to attend some family functions,” the family member said.

He is survived by a widow, a daughter and four sons.

Meanwhile, the only CAA official who had sustained wounds in the pre-dawn attack on Jiwani airport, Altaf Hussain, was recovering fast after undergoing an operation at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

The officials said Mr Hussain, who was supervisor at the Jiwani airport, was not in a position to share details of the attack with the investigators.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2015

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