02-14-2009, 03:29 AM
PS This was written in the second week of October 2008 but due to physical reasons is posted February 2009.
My wife and child reported at Karachi International Airport for their flight last Thursday evening for their journey abroad. They had 2-3 pieces travel bags as their luggage. Disembarking at the foreign airport while baggage was coming my child saw on the conveyer belt one piece of her new shoe kept in the outer side pocket of one bag. She told her mother that this was a piece of her shoe. After a few minutes their bags came. Reaching home it was found the very new costly i-pot, a diary and some other small items which at the last moment were thrusted into the outside pocket had disappeared. It appeared the pockets were searched in a hurried manner and what was not costly was put back having no time to close the pocket properly as the pockets of some other baggage surely were still un-searched. No body can convince me to the contrary that this was definitely done at Karachi airport where the baggage after booking remained not less than 90 minutes in open at baggage area at tarmac before loading. It can not be done at disembarking airport as after leaving the plane it took hardly 15 minutes to reach at the conveyer belt where baggage had already started coming. One so often reads in press complaints about baggage theft and this is the main reason PIA after much struggle got itself out of the ambit of the Federal Ombudsman jurisdiction so that no complaint of baggage theft could be filed against it. My reporting to CAA in view of life experience is since useless hence I preferred it not to waste time. After 9/11 each inch of every airport world over is monitored and recorded through CCTV including tarmac area but expecting an honest enquiry not for a complaint purpose but just as a feed back for future is just a hope for hope today. I do remember some years back an investigative report in press quoted that baggage theft at Karachi airport was done under an organized manner. While during the last 10 years I have seen different taxes on foreign travel being levied I have never during these 10 years found even a single disposable water drinking glass at Karachi airport except for ONCE and that too one piece for use by all which I can swear on solemn affirmation if someone may wish. This is not my lone voice others too keep quoting these things. PS This piece was written in the first week of October 2008 but due to my physical incapability remained pending is being post now in February 2009.
My wife and child reported at Karachi International Airport for their flight last Thursday evening for their journey abroad. They had 2-3 pieces travel bags as their luggage. Disembarking at the foreign airport while baggage was coming my child saw on the conveyer belt one piece of her new shoe kept in the outer side pocket of one bag. She told her mother that this was a piece of her shoe. After a few minutes their bags came. Reaching home it was found the very new costly i-pot, a diary and some other small items which at the last moment were thrusted into the outside pocket had disappeared. It appeared the pockets were searched in a hurried manner and what was not costly was put back having no time to close the pocket properly as the pockets of some other baggage surely were still un-searched. No body can convince me to the contrary that this was definitely done at Karachi airport where the baggage after booking remained not less than 90 minutes in open at baggage area at tarmac before loading. It can not be done at disembarking airport as after leaving the plane it took hardly 15 minutes to reach at the conveyer belt where baggage had already started coming. One so often reads in press complaints about baggage theft and this is the main reason PIA after much struggle got itself out of the ambit of the Federal Ombudsman jurisdiction so that no complaint of baggage theft could be filed against it. My reporting to CAA in view of life experience is since useless hence I preferred it not to waste time. After 9/11 each inch of every airport world over is monitored and recorded through CCTV including tarmac area but expecting an honest enquiry not for a complaint purpose but just as a feed back for future is just a hope for hope today. I do remember some years back an investigative report in press quoted that baggage theft at Karachi airport was done under an organized manner. While during the last 10 years I have seen different taxes on foreign travel being levied I have never during these 10 years found even a single disposable water drinking glass at Karachi airport except for ONCE and that too one piece for use by all which I can swear on solemn affirmation if someone may wish. This is not my lone voice others too keep quoting these things. PS This piece was written in the first week of October 2008 but due to my physical incapability remained pending is being post now in February 2009.