The airport manager of the Islamabad International Airport (IAA) has been dismissed after stray dogs were seen wandering the facility's premises on video, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.
Footage obtained by DawnNewsTV shows a pack of at least five stray dogs roaming outside the airport's lounge in the basement. In a potential safety hazard, the dogs can be heard barking at passengers proceedings towards the parking with their luggage.
Officials at IAA told DawnNewsTV this was not a one-off incident; strays dogs have been spotted on the airport's premises regularly in recent weeks. They said frightened passengers have repeatedly alerted Airport Security Force (ASF) officials about the dogs' presence, but no action was taken.
That stray dogs have been able to come as close as the arrival lounge of the airport is proof of negligence on the part of ASF and CAA, passengers said.
Taking "strict notice" of media reports about the dogs' presence at the IIA, the director general of CAA ordered the removal of airport manager Asghar Faheem Khattak from his post and directed that an inquiry be conducted into the matter.
"The DG CAA... has issued orders to dismiss airport manager of Islamabad airport on an immediate basis," a statement issued by the authority's spokesperson said.
An official privy to the matter, while talking to Dawn.com, observed that it was primarily the responsibility of ASF to ensure the safety and security of the airport and passengers.
The official classified the incident as a safety breach on their [ASF] part that so many dogs were able to enter the facility's premises.
He wondered if unwelcome human visitors could enter the airport in a similar fashion as well, putting its security at risk.
