ISLAMABAD: Assistant Collector Farheen Zahara said that Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the custodian of New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) which must follow the Section 14-A of Customs Act 1969 for smooth functioning of the airport.
Talking to Customs Today during an interview, she said that according to Customs Act of 1969 Section 14-A, it is essential for any agency or person managing or owning a customs-airport or a land customs-station to provide space to customs staff for offices, examination of goods, detention and storage and any other things they need to run the functions of airport.
She said, “We don’t have two-way phone line, internet as well as we have no cameras at departure lounge which is very essential for me as an airport in-charge to monitor the activities and vigilance at the departure lounge through camera from my office.
She said that she has to go outside of her office to make a call or receive any call because mobile phones are not properly working under the premises of NIIA. She said, ”How we can properly connect with our relevant customs offices without internet facility, we have been asking CAA official many times via correspondence to provide internet facility but all in vain.”
Farheen Zahara said that all the agencies like Airport Security Force (ASF) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who are working at NIIA, have proper official vehicles for their working staff to bring them on duties while customs has no proper facility of transport for its staff to bring them on duty. She added that on said subject the Islamabad Customs has sent its request to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to provide them facility of vehicles for their staff to bring them at NIIA.
Answering a query, she said that a customs officer’s job is very hectic, even during Eid days she was on duty 24/7 with her customs staff to facilitate passengers.
